Is There Such a Thing as Parental Alienation After an Illinois Divorce or Separation? 

 Posted on January 20, 2022 in Family Law

Parents of young children often have bitter or hostile feelings towards each other after divorce. Although Illinois is a no-fault divorce state, meaning parents can get divorced for any reason, anger over issues like infidelity, emotional unavailability, abuse, or neglect can often linger long after the divorce proceedings have ended. If you fear that bitterness over the divorce is causing your ex to interfere in your relationship with your child, an experienced Illinois family lawyer may be able to help. 

What is Parental Alienation? 

One way some parents deal with their negative emotions towards each other is by trying to get revenge through certain behaviors with their children. Some parents may not even do this on purpose; they may simply be so angry towards their ex that it comes out in every aspect of their lives. Regardless of the reason, children can suffer tremendously when one parent tries to alienate them from their other parent. When this reaches the point that a parent is trying to interfere with a parenting agreement or causing serious disruption to the parent-child relationship, it may be time to take action. 

Although there is some controversy about what, exactly, parental alienation entails and whether there should be an official term for it, there is no question that malicious behavior from one parent towards the other can negatively affect that parent’s relationship with a child. Alienating behaviors can come in many forms, but some of the most common include: 

• Telling lies about the other parent that cast them in a negative light

• Sharing inappropriate details of the divorce or relationship with a child

• Denigrating the other parent’s parenting style to the child

• “Forgetting” about or running very late to parenting time changes, thereby reducing the amount of time a child spends with his or her other parent

• Encouraging the child to disobey their other parent or asking them inappropriate questions about their time with the other parent

• Making a child feel guilty for wanting to see their other parent

What Can Be Done About Parental Alienation?

Although innocent children may not understand what is happening, if parental alienation is not caught and handled early, the damage can be irreversible. Children may grow up believing lies about a parent and always feel anger or resentment for wrongs a parent never committed. An experienced Illinois attorney can help you begin gathering evidence and documenting situations so you can fight for your relationship with your child. 

Contact a Wheaton Family Law Attorney

If your ex is interfering with a court-ordered parenting plan, you will want to build a strong case to show that your relationship with your child has been negatively impacted. An experienced DuPage County family law attorney with Andrew Cores Family Law Group can help you understand your options, collect evidence, and advocate passionately on your behalf to protect your parental rights. Call us today at 630-871-1002 to schedule a free initial consultation over the phone or in person. 

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=075000050HPt%2E+VI&ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=8675000&SeqEnd=12200000