As an experienced divorce and child custody attorney in Wheat Ridge and Jefferson County, I have dealt with all types of divorce cases, ranging from extremely amicable to extremely tumultuous. Sometimes in the more troubling cases, the parties begin to use the children as pawns and one parent will undermine the relationship of the kids with their other parent. This is known as parental alienation and is treated very seriously in the Jefferson County family court. This alienation can range from making statements to weaken the relationship with the other parent, keeping the children from the other parent, or even making false claims of abuse.
Examples of Parental Alienation in Arvada and Golden
In Arvada and Golden, parental alienation is considered a form of emotional abuse under C.R.S. 14-10-124(1.5)(a)(VI). When considering what’s in the child’s best interest, it’s the courts intent to foster a positive relationship between child and parent. If the court finds that the custodial parent is damaging their children’s relationship with the non-custodial parent, then the court may take away parenting time and decision making responsibilities from the custodial parent. Keeping the children from their other parent, not informing the other parent about school or medical issues, ignoring the other parent’s attempts to communicate with the children, and bad mouthing the other parent to the children are all examples of parental alienation.
I’m Being Alienated from My Children: What Can I Do?
If the parental alienation is occurring during the divorce proceedings, then the alienated party can request the court appoint a Parental Responsibilities Evaluator (PRE) or a Child Family Investigator (CFI). This professional can investigate the alienation claims and report back to the court. If the parental alienation is in direct violation of a court order after a divorce decree is entered, then the alienated parent can file a motion to enforce parenting time and get a court order to stop the alienation. The court can even modify the current parenting plan to make up for lost parenting time and rectify the situation for the alienated parent. Consult an experienced Wheat Ridge divorce and child custody lawyer to learn about your options if you are being alienated from your children.
If you are being alienated from your children, contact the best family law attorneys from the Pearman Law Firm at 720-259-9528 for a phone consultation.
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