Long Island Attorneys Fighting Parental Alienation

Nassau County Parental Alienation Attorney

Parental Alienation Attorney in Jericho, NY

Divorces are highly emotional and shake up the foundation of the family. Child custody is one of the most heated topics of divorce. The hardship of being with your child part time and sharing the week with the divorced spouse is too much for some. Unfortunately, a parent may use the children as a pawn in their own emotional battle. Some parents will actively try and destroy the child’s relationship with the other parent in order to win sole custody of the case or make visitations difficult or impossible. This is called parental alienation. Some consider this child abuse and abusive behavior. Parental alienation has two parts to consider.

  • The parent’s role in programming the child
  • The child’s role in the destruction of the relationship

Signs of parental alienation

Sometimes, parental alienation manifests itself in small gestures. The child may suddenly exhibit aggressive behavior or anxiety towards an established, bonded familial relationship. Other times, larger gestures demonstrate this situation. For example, a child may suddenly make visitation with the rejected parent impossible through overwhelming negative physical displays. Occasionally, a child may lie about physical or sexual abuse from the rejected parent in support of the parent responsible for the alienation.

Parental alienation is controversial

This topic is controversial in courts and the scientific community. The American Medical Association and American Psychological Association do not recognize parental alienation as a valid medical disorder some call Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). Parental alienation is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Experts in the psychology and legal community regularly write articles in scholarly journals in favor of making it a real condition. These journals include the American Journal of Forensic Psychology and Family Law Quarterly. Though specialists across multiple areas of focus agree that PAS is a real syndrome in the lives of families, their professional associations do not.

Long Island courts act on facts

Courts have the responsibility to act on the facts of a case. Since Parental Alienation Syndrome is not an accepted disorder in the scientific community, expert testimony may be inadmissible in courts. Signs of parental alienation still raise attention in child custody cases at the discretion of the judge. Abuse is a serious accusation. If a judge hears a claim of abuse or neglect, they must act according to the law. Without evidence, claims can be deflected, complicating the process. The defense of the accused non-custodial parent can easily assert that the abuse claim was maliciously manufactured through parental alienation to obtain sole custody of the child. The defense becomes even more valid to Long Island judges in cases where the spousal relationship was deeply troubled leading up to the divorce. Without a scientific definition from an accredited institution, guidelines to recognize the signs of parental alienation, and a process to remedy the problem, New York judges are at a major disadvantage when combating this issue without overwhelming evidence.

Contact Long Island attorneys with experience with parental alienation

If you are involved in an emotional divorce procedure and you feel like your spouse is tarnishing your relationship with your child, contact the Long Island attorneys at The Pollack Law Firm, P.C. We have the persistence and experience to effectively fight for you through this ordeal. We understand how important strong familial bonds are to both the parent and the child and will use all legal means to convince the court to intervene and possibly rule in your favor. We will work vigorously to protect your family and your rights. Our compassionate Long Island attorneys are available for a consultation. Call The Pollack Law Firm, P.C. today.

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