Parental alienation, or the action of one parent to manipulate a child away from the other parent, is a subject more widely recognized today than even just a few years ago.
In a new column for The Huffington Post titled “Is Your Ex Turning Your Child Against You?” Cordell & Cordell Principal Partner and Founder Joe Cordell discussed parental alienation and its impact on many fathers.
In the article, Mr. Cordell mentioned his 25 years of experience in representing men and seeing many situations in which one parent will let personal feelings damage the relationship between a child and the other parent.
“This can be done subtly and unintentionally through occasional belittling comments, to active and malicious ‘brainwashing’ with the intent to replace any love the child may have for the other parent with hate,” wrote Mr. Cordell. “Alienation can be cataclysmic during such an emotional time as divorce.”
Mr. Cordell also pointed out that, in the majority of situations, the primary custodial parent tends to be the person who contributes to parental alienation if it exists. Because many fathers are non-custodial parents, they often become the victim of such alienation.
He made sure to note that those parents who feel that they or their children are suffering from parental alienation should certainly complete every parental obligation that exists and seek the help of a psychologist familiar with the condition.
Read more from Mr. Cordell’s Huffington Post column.
Written by Joseph E. Cordell
Joseph E. Cordell is the Principal Partner at Cordell and Cordell, P.C., which he founded in 1990 with his wife, Yvonne. Over the past 25 years, the firm has grown to include more than 100 offices in 30 states, as well as internationally in the United Kingdom. Mr. Cordell is licensed to practice in the states of Illinois and Missouri and received his LL.M. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Joseph E. Cordell was named one of the Top 10 Best Family Law Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Missouri.
