Does parental alienation tend to be inflicted deliberately, or accidentally? In my experience, I think parental alienation can often be inflicted both deliberately and to an extent accidentally. When one discusses parental alienation at large, one tends to think immediately to an active, knowing, orchestrated campaign against the other parent. However, in every separation and divorce case, emotions run high. Sometimes angry, hurt, or resentful parties will lash out at the other parent in emotion, with the one thing they both love the most – their child or children. What other issues in family dynamics may arise during the divorce process? There is an entire host of issues regarding family dynamics that may arise during a divorce. This includes communication, cooperation, the ability to put the needs of your child or children over your own, and the ability to work with the other parent (despite your feelings about them) to provide a safe and secure environment for the child or children that shields them from the separation or divorce and ensures that they know they are still loved equally by both parents. What advice would you give to a parent who believes their child has been subjected to parental alienation? In my experience, parental alienation is often the result of an extended and continuous process of one parent to maligning the other to the child or children. Therefore, facts and evidence are extraordinarily important, because without them, I think there is a tendency for courts to get lost in the only things they see – which are the pleadings and allegations 18 LAWYER MONTHLY APRIL 2023
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