Parental Alienation

Parental-Alienation

Parental alienation is inappropriate behavior by one parent whether it be the father or the mother which is designed to have a negative impact on the relationship between the children and the other parent. It can be considered a type of brainwashing. Parental Alienation is the manipulation of children by one parent for the purpose of preventing or destroying a warm and loving relationship the children have with the other parent. Parental alienation is harmful to the children. Parental alienation has been known to cause both emotional and psychological damage to children. The parent that is victimized loses his or her ability to maintain a relationship with the children through no fault of his or her own. In some cases allegations of sexual or physical abuse are part of the parental alienation scheme.

Parental Alienation Syndrome

A child subject to parental alienation often develop parental alienation syndrome and develop an intense dislike for one of their parents even though there is no logical reason for the child’s behavior to that parent. If you suspect the other parent is engaging in parental alienation, you should take immediate legal action to stop this inappropriate conduct. The longer the parental alienation continues on the more difficult it is to get the child back on the right track.

Custody Lawsuits and Parental Alienation

Parental alienation can be used as a method by a litigant in a custody case to have a negative impact on a parent’s ability to obtain custody of his or her children. If you suspect this is going on bring this to your attorney’s attention. This should be dealt with immediately to stop it from destroying one parent’s relationship with the children.

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If you are a victim of parental alienation or your children are being victimized, contact the law office of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP. We have been helping parents throughout the Metropolitan New York area to deal with parental alienation for more than 3 decades. We can be reached at 800-344-6431 or you can e-mail us at: Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

Father’s Obligation to Pay Child Support Eliminated by Appeals Court

father's rights lawyerThe Appellate Division for the Second Department, an appeals court, in the Matter of Coull v. Rottman, 2014-1516, held a father who had been prevented from seeing his son by the child’s mother no longer would be obligated to pay child support.

In this case, the father had last visited his son in February 2010. During the period of several months thereafter, the father would go to the pick up location on his parenting time days. The mother either would not show up, or would show up and the son would not leave the car.

Mother Extremely Hostile to Father

The mother took the position when she appeared in Family Court of extreme hostility towards the father. She stated on more than one occasion that she would never let the child spend time with the father. She said she would do “whatever it takes” to keep her son away from his father. Based on the mother’s intransigence and refusal to cooperate with regard to promoting the father’s relationship and visitation with his son, the appeals court suspended the father’s child support obligation. The court took the position that where the custodial parent prevents all reasonable access as to a child, the child support obligations may be suspended.

Father’s Visitation Suspended

It should be noted the mother’s cross motion in this case was granted and the father’s visitation was suspended. The child showed great hostility towards the father at the time of the court’s hearing. The court took into consideration the son was 13 years old and even though he had participated in therapy for a number of months to develop a relationship with his father, he was “vehemently opposed” to any type of parenting time between himself and the father.

Conclusion

This is a victory for fathers who have their visitation interfered with. But it is also a loss. As the expression goes, you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. The same is true with children. Children who have been so alienated by one parent against the other sometimes cannot be therapeutically reunited with the other parent. Hopefully over time the father in this case will redevelop his relationship with his son.father's rights advocate on Long Island

Parental Alienation Syndrome

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Elliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights attorney with nearly 45 years experience representing fathers in all aspects of family law.  He and his associates are available for consultation at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802 or by email to schlissel.law@att.net.

Are Your Children Being Subject to Parental Alienation Syndrome?

father's rights attorney on Long IslandParental alienation can have a destructive effect on a parent’s relationship with their children. Children subjected to parental alienation often exhibit hatred toward the targeted parent. The following are a list of the symptoms of parental alienation syndrome:

  • One of the parents discussing the aspects of the divorce with the children. That parent presents the divorce case from their point of view. They take this position claiming they are trying to be honest with the children. This practice can be harmful and painful to the children. This can cause the children to think less of the other parent. Even when the parent doesn’t have an intentional motive to effect the other parent’s relationship with the children. It still does! Children want to love both of their parents. When they feel one parent has harmed the other parent, they can adopt the same attitude of the parent they feel has been mistreated.
  • Children shouldn’t be allowed to decide for themselves whether they will visit with the non-residential parent. Children have no choice. Child visitation is mandatory pursuant to Court Orders. If one parent gives the children a choice and then after the children make a choice of not to visit with the other parent they are compelled to visit, they will usually blame the non-residential parent for not abiding by their decision not to visit with them. This now creates a situation where the non-custodial parent is being victimized by the residential custodial parent. He or she is not able to see the children when they want to. If they force the children to see them, the children become angry with them.
  • Children have toys and other memorabilia that is important to them. They should be allowed to transport these items from the custodial parent’s home to the non-custodial parent’s home. When they are not allowed to do this, it creates disharmony in the children’s lives. Their normal daily routine is impacted on and it results in problems for the parent seeking visitation with his or her children.
  • In the event there has been domestic violence between the parents, it should not be presented to the child that the child is in danger. In most situations involving domestic violence between parents there is absolutely no indication of violence towards the children.
  • If a child cannot present a reason for being angry with a parent it usually relates to parental alienation syndrome.
  • One parent should not have the child act as a spy on the other parent. When the child comes back from visiting with the other parent, he or she should not be interrogated.
  • When a child comes back from visiting one parent and presents that he or she had a good time, it should not make the other parent unhappy. This may cause the child to withdraw and stop communicating with the other parent. It can also make the child feel guilty for enjoying the company of the other parent.

Father's rights lawyerElliot S. Schlissel is an attorney with more than 45 years of experience representing parents regarding custody and visitation issues. He represents clients throughout the Metropolitan New York area. He is available for consultations.

Constructive Emancipation Leads To Early Termination of Child Support Obligation

To watch today’s video blog, please follow the link below:

Elliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights attorney.  He has been representing fathers in child support hearings, custody proceedings, visitation agreements, and all aspects of matrimonial law and family law for more than 45 years.  Elliot and his associates may be reached for consultation at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, or by email to schlissel.law@att.net.

Malicious Mother Syndrome

In divorce situations, cases exist where the mother seeks to do more than just alienate the children from the father. In these cases, the mother takes action to have a negative effect on the father’s life. Examples of actions which can be considered Malicious Mother Syndrome involve making false allegations the father sexually abused the children: taking action to have third parties harass and/or assault the father; making up vicious lies and stories about the father and taking action to have a negative impact on the father’s employment.

Malicious Mother Syndrome and Parental Alienation Syndrome

Malicious Mother Syndrome goes beyond Parental Alienation Syndrome. The theory of Parental Alienation Syndrome has the mother turning the children against the father. This very often can relate to the mother interfering and/or preventing the father from having visitation or a loving relationship with the children. Malicious Mother Syndrome is different from Parental Alienation Syndrome because this involves attacking other aspects of the father’s life, health and well-being beyond the father’s relationship with the children. Malicious Mother Syndrome involves campaigns against the father. In many cases of Malicious Mother Syndrome, the mother tries to manipulate third parties to hate the father based on information and stories which are untrue or greatly exaggerated.

Inappropriate behavior common to both Malicious Mother Syndrome and Parental Alienation Syndrome involve the following actions taken by the mother

  • alienating the children from the father
  •   interrupting the father’s visitation with the children
  • preventing the children from having telephone or internet contact with the father
  • convincing the children the father doesn’t love them
  • making up lies about the father and convincing the children these lies are true
  • engaging in excessive litigation for the sole purpose of creating problems in the father’s life

Dealing With Malicious Mother Syndrome

The best way to deal with Malicious Mother Syndrome is to go on the legal offensive. Bring applications to the court showing the judge what the mother is doing and the negative impact it is having on the children and the father’s life. To be successful in these endeavors, it is important to hire an experienced attorney who has the time, the resources, and the knowledge to bring, through litigation, the mother’s improper activities to the court’s attention. If the attorney you are using is unsuccessful or unable to handle the matter, you should find a more experienced, more capable attorney to bring these inappropriate actions to the court’s attention.attorney for fathers on Long Island

Constructive Emancipation

To watch today’s video blog, please click on the link below:

Elliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights lawyer.  He represents fathers in all aspects of matrimonial and family law including child support hearings, visitation, divorces, and custody proceedings.  Elliot and his associates can be reached for consultation at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802 or by email to schlissel.law@att.net.

Parental Alienation Syndrome

To watch today’s video blog, please click on the link below:

Elliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights attorney with more than 35 years of experiencing representing fathers in divorce, child custody and visitation proceedings.  He can be reached for consultation at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802, 1-800-344-6431 or by email to schlissel.law@att.net.

How to Handle Parental Alienation Syndrome

To watch today’s video blog, please click on the link below:

Elliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights attorney.  He can be reached for consultation at 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802.  He can also be contacted by email to schlissel.law@att.net.

Court Terminates Father’s Child Support Obligations

child support assistance for fathersIn a case before Support Magistrate Elizabeth Bloom, sitting in the Family Court of Nassau County, a father brought a petition to terminate his child support obligations. In his petition, the father plead that his two daughters had been constructively emancipated from him and as a result he sought to end all of his child support obligations. He had not seen either of his two daughters since 2007. The father claimed the mother had defamed him in front of his twin daughters. She had told them he had engaged in extramarital relationships with other women. This information caused the girls to be alienated from him.

Mother Claimed Daughters Didn’t Want to See Their Father

The mother contended the father had not contacted his twin daughters since 2009. She took the position it was solely the children who did not want to have contact with him. She claimed she did not create the situation.

Support Magistrate Bloom in her decision stated pursuant to the doctrine of constructive emancipation a child who is of employable age can be constructively emancipated from the father. She found the father’s testimony to be truthful. She also took into consideration the evidence showed the mother had exhibited hatred towards the father. In her decision, Support Magistrate Bloom found the children were supporting the mother’s position against the father. She found the father’s conduct did not amount to a reasonable basis for the children to refuse to have contact with the father.

Constructive Emancipation

Support Magistrate Bloom ruled the children had constructively emancipated themselves from their father. They had taken this action without just cause or reason. They had refused to have any contact with him or allow him visitation. The father’s petition to have his child support obligations terminated was granted.Father's Rights Attorney on Long Island