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Parental alienation: What does it mean and how can it affect child custody?

While ordering child custody arrangements, a judge may favor a parent who is more likely to encourage frequent and ongoing contact with the other parent. Parental alienation varies in the degree of severity measured by the behavior and attitude of the parent and the minor children. The severity can amount to nothing more than referring to the other parent by a derogatory name, or it can be as devastating as an intentional campaign to destroy the children’s relationship with the other parent. In extreme cases, the alienation leads to a condition known as parental alienation syndrome (PAS), which can have a devastating long-term impact on minor children.

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How to Get Non-Parent Custody of a Child

Non-parent custody of children is granted only under very specific circumstances and through proper procedures through the courts. To get custody of a child that is not your own, you must show some detriment to the child if she were not to be placed in your custody.

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Grandparent Rights & Grandparent Visitation

Grandparents may be able to petition the court for visitation rights, but there are some restrictions on their ability to do so. Most states have enacted statutes which provide for visitation by grandparents in cases of a family break-up.

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How a Man Can Prove Paternity of a Child

Paternity entitles a man to act as a child’s parent and seek custody. ‘Father status’ also imposes obligations, such as that of child support. If the man is married to the mother at the time of conception or birth, then the law assumes that he is the father and his name will be on the birth certificate. Some states allow this presumption to challenged under certain conditions, such as if the husband denies paternity and another man claims to be the father.

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How to Prepare for a Child Custody Mediation

To relieve some of the effects of difficult child custody battles, more courts are encouraging parents to use programs called alternative dispute resolution (ADR)to deal with child custody disagreements. The main ADR program used in child custody cases is mediation. The results of your mediation can influence or even determine the outcome of your child custody case, so you should always take time to prepare for the discussions that will take place there.

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Paternity Determination

Paternity determination establishes the biological father of a child as the legal father. When a child is born to unmarried parents, the child has a biological father but does not have a legal father. The biological father has no rights or responsibilities to the child while determining paternity. Once paternity is established, the biological father is recognized as the legal father, and the child has the same legal rights as a child born to married parents.

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