It can be difficult for people who divorce to work together to raise children. Most parents can set aside their differences to focus on what might be best for their shared progeny. Some parents simply cannot put their children first. Even after a divorce, they may continually inject themselves into the relationship that the other parent has with their children. They may disparage the other parent, limit their access to the children and otherwise interfere in what could be a healthy relationship.
Sometimes, people take their attempts at alienation to the next level. Instead of just bad-mouthing the other parents or occasionally canceling their time with their shared children, they may try to leave Washington with the kids.
Can one parent fight a proposed relocation by showing that it is an attempt at parental alienation?
Parents should put their children first
Parental alienation is the technical term for what occurs when one adult attempts to harm the relationship that another parent has with their children. Parental alienation often involves a combination of parenting time interference and negative communication about the targeted parent. Parental alienation typically prioritizes a feeling of personal vindication over the needs of the children. A parent trying to interfere in the children’s bond with their other parent may do more harm than good, especially when looking at the long-term mental health and social development of the children.
When is a relocation attempted alienation?
There are many reasonable explanations for why a parent may need to move. Better job opportunities in another state, family connections in another town and even lower cost-of-living expenses can contribute to the decision to move. However, if the goal is to eliminate a co-parent’s connection with the children, then the move might not be beneficial or even appropriate.
When one parent proposes a relocation that could affect custody matters, the other has the opportunity to object. They can file formal paperwork with the family courts. They then have an opportunity to present their perspective on the matter in front of a family law judge. The parent trying to prevent the relocation may need to gather evidence about the parental alienation that has occurred previously.
Hostile text messages, records of repeated cancellations and even statements made by the children can help affirm that one parent has not put the children’s best interests first. Judges hearing relocation cases often grant permission to move, but they can also choose to make other custody modifications depending on the circumstances.
Parents hoping to prevent a relocation often need help acting quickly and developing a viable legal case. Reviewing a proposed relocation and one’s current custody order with a skilled legal team can help parents protect their bond with their children.
