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West Virginia co-parents dealing with parental alienation

Jun 3, 2020 | Child Custody & Support

When a family goes through a divorce, it is crucial to remember that the most important thing to keep in mind is the needs of the child. Depending on their age, they may still be in a very delicate stage in their upbringing, and the relationship that they have with either of their parents may still be formulating. Unfortunately, divorce is also the time when most parents fall into the trap of parental alienation. Parents facing these dilemmas with their co-parent have a number of possible solutions to their predicament.

Parental alienation occurs when a parent is placing their mental and emotional wants and needs in front of the child’s. This is common after a divorce due to a number of reasons, the primary one being that parents are more prone to emotional stress during these times and look to their children to fill that gap. They may also still feel some sort of anger or even hatred towards their former partner and garner these emotions within their children.

In the worst-case scenario, parents may use their children as pawns during court hearings and look to find a settlement with custody rights. These actions take a heavy toll on the child and are emotionally draining for them. It causes unnecessary strain on their relationship with each of their parents, and they are unfortunately subject to the alienating parent’s mental abuse and control.

If a co-parent finds that their counterpart has been practicing some of these traits on their own children, their recommended course of action might be to bring this up in a court order for a judge hearing and a possible change in custody rights. That parent must know what rights and legal actions they are allowed to take. They may wish to contact a lawyer to ensure that they take all the right actions.