It’s complicated to figure out the distinction between the different kinds of claims in a custody case. Terms like full blown parental alienation, alignment, estrangement, enmeshment, alienating behaviors without resistance, and normal developmental visitation refusal are hard to differentiate from one another. Untangling the difference is quite complicated and can come down to “he said, she said.” Here, we’ll attempt to offer an explanation and focus on understanding the difference between parental alienation and estrangement.
Parental alienation is when one parent actively tries to hurt the relationship between their child and the other parent by saying negative things about the other parent, implying that the child is no longer safe when with the other parent, or even just scheduling fun activities while the child is with the other parent. The child will reject the parent without any real legitimate justification and resist visitation. Parental alienation can cause significant distress or impairment in many areas of the child’s life. Alienated children tend to become more resistant around the time they reach 11 years of age.
Estrangement happens with the parent’s own past behaviors have created the rejection, having nothing to do with the other parent. There is some valid justification for the rejection, such as a child witnessing violence or being the victim of the parent’s abuse. Estrangement will always involve a clear, realistic and identifiable explanation for the resistance to visitation.
For more information about making the distinction between estrangement and alienation, click here.
Lambert Law Office is a divorce lawyer in Vancouver WA that is very equipped to handle alienation or estrangement cases due to their dedication to family law. Click here to contact them today.