Divorce can be one of the biggest challenges in a parent’s life. You may find yourself managing the legal and emotional hurdles involved in ending the marriage—all while working to protect your children’s well-being. The process can feel even more daunting when the other parent is antagonistic, hostile, or even tries to harm your relationship with your children.
If you face parental alienation during or after a divorce, our attorneys are here for you. A Huntsville parental alienation lawyer from The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates can help protect your parental rights. We can also build a strong custody case on your behalf, seek a court order to enforce visitation or your custody rights, and develop a legal strategy to seek the most favorable results. Get a no-obligation evaluation to learn your options today.
For a free legal consultation, call (256) 859-7277 or fill out our online form today.
Huntsville Parental Alienation Guide
- Why Choose The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates for a Parental Alienation Case
- What Is Parental Alienation?
- What Can You Do if You Face Parental Alienation in Alabama?
- Other Ways Our Attorneys Can Help You With a Huntsville, AL Divorce
- Frequently Asked Questions in Huntsville Parental Alienation Cases
- Contact a Parental Alienation Lawyer at The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates
Why Choose The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates for a Parental Alienation Case
At The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates, our team of Huntsville family law attorneys understands that divorce and child custody cases are often emotionally charged.
We want to support you through every step of the divorce process.
No matter how complicated your case may be, we know how to fight for your rights and will work to protect your child’s best interests.
Our firm’s founding partner, Charlotte Christian, dedicated herself to family law practice after facing family loss herself. Ms. Christian is compassionate about each client’s unique circumstances and tenacious in fighting for their legal needs.
Check Out Our Google Reviews
We can proudly share that our past clients have given us a 4.7-star rating in Google Reviews, and they frequently say that we:
- Know how to get things done for our clients
- Are highly knowledgeable
- Serve as fierce, focused advocates for our clients at trial and in mediation
- Explain family law issues in terms our clients can understand
- Empathetically represent parents facing challenges in seeing their children
Our attorneys take the time to listen to your unique situation and ensure that you understand your next best steps. We want to help you move forward with rebuilding your life after a divorce while staying in close connection with your children.
What Is Parental Alienation?
At its core, parental alienation damages a child’s relationship with the other parent. The alienating parent may adopt a damaging attitude toward the other parent, make verbal comments, or take actions that could harm how a child views or connects with the other parent.
Types of Parental Alienation
Perhaps you aren’t sure if what you’re currently experiencing qualifies as parental alienation.
There are many forms of parental alienation that can affect families, including:
- Naive Alienation. This occurs when a parent damages a child’s perception of the other parent naively or through unconscious behaviors. The parent may not actively create disputes over child custody during the court process. Instead, they argue with the other parent in front of the child or make comments about the other parent to the child.
- Disparagement. This is a more active form of parental alienation. The alienating parent makes negative comments about the other parent, which are intentional and intended to distort the child’s view of their parent.
- Misrepresentation or False Claims. An alienating parent may make false claims about the other parent, typically to control the outcome of child custody proceedings. For instance, they may falsely claim that the other parent was abusive in the marriage to win sole custody.
- Substitution. In some cases, the alienating parent attempts to replace the other parent in the child’s life. They may try to introduce a new partner as the child’s new mother or father.
- Undermining Parental Authority. This can happen in many ways. The alienating parent may undermine the other parent’s authority by openly disagreeing with their parenting practices or suggesting that the child does not need to listen to them.
- Giving Children Authority. Relatedly, an alienating parent may give a child authority as a means of undermining the other parent. The alienating parent may tell the child that they can control their bedtime, schedule, or other aspects of their lives when in the other parent’s care.
What Alabama Law Says About Parental Alienation
According to Alabama law, both parents have a right to frequent and ongoing contact with their children after a divorce. Alabama courts prefer custody arrangements and visitation schedules designed to promote this ongoing contact with both parents and support the right of both parents to be involved in their children’s upbringing.
Parental alienation tactics go against the sharing of parental roles and responsibilities. As such, the courts will hear evidence to determine if one parent’s alienating strategies prevent the other parent from their right to shared custody, visitation, and a healthy relationship with their children.
How Parental Alienation Can Affect Child Custody and Visitation
Parents who face alienation strategies likely want to know how this could affect their divorce, child custody arrangements, or visitation.
For example, the alienating parent may:
- Seek sole custody: During the divorce, they may make false claims about the other parent to secure a sole custody arrangement.
- Be uncooperative with joint custody: If parents do get joint custody, the alienating parent may try to limit the other parent’s time with a child. The alienating parent may also use any of the other strategies described above to influence the child’s relationship with the other parent.
In extreme cases, one parent may refuse to allow the other parent to see their children. They may also refuse to comply with court-ordered visitation schedules or undermine a parent’s rights in a joint custody arrangement.
What Can You Do if You Face Parental Alienation in Alabama?
Even though no law explicitly addresses parental alienation, Alabama courts still weigh parental alienation as a factor in child custody, modifications, and other divorce-related matters.
So, if you face alienation tactics, you can take action:
- If you’re in the midst of a divorce, an attorney from our team can present evidence of alienation and argue for your right to joint custody.
- For parents dealing with alienation strategies after a divorce, an attorney from our team can help you seek a court order to enforce the child custody agreement or visitation schedule.
As another consequence, the alienating parent may also receive a court order to attend therapy or parenting classes.
Call or text (256) 859-7277 or complete a Case Evaluation form
Gathering Evidence to Support Your Case
A Huntsville parental alienation lawyer with The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates can gather evidence to support your case and argue your side of the story before the judge.
Our lawyers may use evidence such as:
- Records of communication with the alienating parent, such as texts, phone call recordings, emails, social media posts or messages, or other communication
- Images or videos demonstrating the non-alienating parent’s relationship with the child over time
- School records
If you have any of the above forms of evidence to share with your attorney, please do so. We can explain how this evidence could support your case during a no-obligation evaluation with our team.
Other Ways Our Attorneys Can Help You With a Huntsville, AL Divorce
At The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates, our attorneys have experience in many areas of family law. We can help you with the initial process of filing for divorce and represent you through every step of the process. We can also help you if you’re facing unique divorce circumstances like a military or high-asset divorce.
Here are a few ways that our attorneys can help with your family law needs:
Filing for a Divorce in Alabama
The divorce process can involve many legal and financial complications, and you may have questions about how to choose the right attorney and your best path forward. Whether you’re just starting to think about filing for a divorce or serving your spouse with a divorce complaint, we’re here to help you.
Our team can:
- Protect your financial well-being and your right to a fair divorce
- Explain the difference between no-fault and fault-based divorce
- Help you navigate a contested or uncontested divorce
- Help you file all necessary divorce paperwork
- Represent you before a judge or at mediation
- Keep your case on track to meet any legal deadlines
- Support you with a neutral third-party perspective
Arranging Child Custody
Child custody matters can be especially difficult when you’re facing alienating behaviors from the other parent.
Our Huntsville parental alienation attorneys can guide you through all child custody matters, including:
- Gathering evidence to show your relationship with the child, the other parent’s alienating actions, and other evidence to make a strong case
- Advocating for the child custody outcome that serves your best interests
- Representing you in court and mediation
- Speaking with all third parties in the case on your behalf
- Ensuring that court-ordered child custody and visitation schedules are upheld
Seeking Child Custody Modifications
After the court orders child custody arrangements, life can change. If you can show that a significant life change occurred since the divorce, such as a job loss or a cross-country move, you could petition for a child custody modification.
However, that process can prove complicated if the other parent tries to limit or damage your connection with your children. Having an attorney on your side throughout this process is often beneficial. We can ensure that the court hears your voice and concerns, show evidence of parental alienation, and work to get the outcome you need with a custody modification.
Frequently Asked Questions in Huntsville Parental Alienation Cases
We understand that parents likely have many questions and concerns during or after a divorce. At The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates, our attorneys can offer you the clarity and understanding you need to move forward with your case.
What Are Some Examples of Parental Alienation?
Our attorneys can help parents who face alienating attitudes and tactics from the other parent, such as:
- Taking the child without telling you for a certain length of time
- Regularly failing to discuss important decisions about the child
- Preventing visitation
- Speaking poorly about you to the child
- Uncooperative co-parenting
- Scheduling all the child’s activities during your visitation time or when you have custody
- Making it difficult for the child to communicate with you
- Manipulating the child to view you negatively
- Telling the child private details about the divorce
Many other actions and behaviors can constitute parental alienation. Our team can explain your options if you face these or other strains on your relationship with your child.
What if I’m Concerned About My Child’s Safety?
If the other parent was abusive or showed indications that they could endanger your child, you can share this information with the courts. In Alabama, child custody, visitation, and modifications must all proceed based on the best interests of the child.
If a judge sees evidence that a child could be harmed or endangered by a parent, they may award sole custody to the other parent. They may even order supervised visitation through a state facility if the child faces significant danger.
However, parental safety concerns can create complex issues in a parental alienation case. Some parents may falsely claim that the other parent poses a danger to the child to seek a sole custody award. Our attorneys can help you fight against false claims like these.
If the Court Orders Sole Custody, Can I Appeal for Joint Custody?
Once the court issues a custody decision, you cannot appeal that order. For this and many other reasons, it’s important to seek out legal help as soon as possible in the divorce process—especially if the other parent shows alienating tendencies or you have a contested divorce.
A parental alienation attorney can help you build a strong case for custody from the outset. However, Alabama courts do expect that certain life changes may require custody modifications, and we can help you petition for modification if necessary.
Contact a Parental Alienation Lawyer at The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates
At The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates, our Huntsville divorce attorneys know how to manage complex divorce cases, including when parental alienation plays a role. We understand that this situation can leave you feeling angry, overwhelmed, and in need of prompt assistance.
Our attorneys can investigate your case and begin protecting your parental rights immediately. We want to help you seek results—and we’ll get to work today.
Contact us now at (256) 859-7277 for your no-obligation evaluation.
The Law Offices of Charlotte Christian and Associates Huntsville Office Location:
1500 Perimeter Parkway #275Huntsville, AL 35806
(256) 859-7277