Parental Alienation
Canberra’s leading parental alienation lawyers
Nicholls Anzani are leading family lawyers with our head office in Canberra, ACT. Our highly experienced team supports parents and families across Canberra, New South Wales and Australia-wide, when facing complex matters like parental alienation.
We guide you through this challenging experience so you can understand your legal options and take steps to protect your child’s wellbeing. We will listen to your circumstances and provide a tailored strategy for your next steps.
Whether you are gathering information for yourself or supporting a loved one, our team provides clarity and practical support.
To help direct you to the most helpful information, choose the option that describes your circumstances. I am….
For a parent being alienated from their child
If you have concerns that your child or children are being alienated from you, you may have one or more worries like these:
“I’m concerned my child feels they need to choose between parents”
“I’m concerned that my messages and calls aren’t being passed on”
“I’m terrified my child is being taught to hate/dislike me”
“I’m concerned that by the time my child is older, they will regret their decision”
“I worry that if I push too hard for time, my child will pull away more”
“How much of this is my child’s view, and how much of this is because they’ve been manipulated?”
“What if this is only a short-term thing that will pass? What if it isn’t?”
If this sounds like you, know that these questions can only be answered with clarity by people who assist parents who are in your shoes, every day. We learn from parents about their children, the nature of the denigration of relationships and give advice and insights into what the law says and how the Courts treat matters like yours. The wellbeing of your child/ren is of paramount importance, so you must get certainty about the options available to help you protect your child’s wellbeing and reduce the advancement of the alienation.
Expect compassionate, expert guidance and strategic insights to inform your next steps.
Alienated parents often ask:
What can I do about this right now?
- To start, ensure you have a clear understanding of what parental alienation is, and what it is often confused for. Confirm parental alienation by reading this page which details the defining features of parental alienation and more.
- Next, meet with an experienced parental alienation lawyer as early as possible. These circumstances can result in more dire outcomes for your child’s wellbeing (including your time with them) if legal advice is delayed. Early advice informs you about what can be done, including what you can say and do, and what you should not say or do, for the best possible outcomes for your child.
How can the legal system help with parental alienation?
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, whose priority is the safety, care, protection and wellbeing of children in matters of parental alienation, can take urgent action to avoid any further harm to your child and their relationship with you. This may include the Court ordering a psychological assessment or Family Report to determine the family dynamics and subsequent actions to stop/reduce the harm to the child/ren involved. For more detail visit this page which unpacks the differences between parental alienation and three other terms that are commonly confused for parental alienation.
How soon will I be able to reconnect with my child?
The sooner you seek advice, the sooner you are likely to be reconnected with your child. The later you wait to get advice, the more ingrained their rejection of you is likely to be. And, we know from experience that sometimes parents are able to reconnect temporarily, only for it to regress and deteriorate later. If you ever need the Court’s involvement to help you, they will want to know why a parent put off seeking legal advice on such an important matter, which can reflect poorly on the alienated parent.
When you seek legal advice from an experienced parental alienation lawyer, you will know what options you have available to you to draw a line in the sand and take action.
Parental Alienation Lawyers Canberra, NSW & Australia-wide
Delaying legal advice puts alienated parents on the back foot.
To explore your options and take pro-active steps towards resuming time with your child, talk to one of our experienced team members.
For the person accused of alienating a child from their other parent
If you have been accused of alienating your child from their other parent, your concerns may sound like one or more of these:
“I’m genuinely concerned they aren’t feeling safe with them”
“Can’t my child have a say if they don’t want to continue to see them/stay with them?”
“How can I let them go if they are distressed when it’s time for the handover?”
“I worry that now I’m being accused of alienation that everything I do now will be unfairly scrutinised”
To be labelled as the cause or catalyst for why a child is refusing to see or stay with their other parent, is a serious matter. If accused of parental alienation, then you must get informed about how the law in Australia treats matters where there is parental conflict in relation to the care, safety and wellbeing of a child.
If you already have Parenting Orders in place, non-compliance with the terms of the Orders puts you at risk of breaching these legally-enforceable Orders, with significant legal consequences. If your child no longer wishes to see or stay with their other parent then you must urgently seek legal advice about the options available in these circumstances, to avoid contravening the Orders and to protect yourself and the wellbeing of your child in the immediate short term.
If you do not have Parenting Orders in place, short-term changes to care may need to be made by making applications to the Court for temporary/short-term Parenting Orders (called interim orders) to help put a plan in place for your child’s care until further steps can be taken (e.g. family or individual assessments) and a longer-term arrangement can be determined that is in the child’s best interests.
Alienated parents often ask:
What is legally considered parental alienation in Australia?
Parental alienation is often the umbrella term people use to describe a range of similar relationship issues experienced post-separation. Broadly speaking, parental alienation is the deliberate or subconscious behaviour from a parent (or other significant caregiver such as a step-parent or grandparent) which results in the denigration of the relationship between a child and a parent.
To learn about the behaviours that may contribute to parental alienation, as well as other terms commonly mislabelled as parental alienation, visit this page.
At what age can my child choose where to live?
In Australia, the Court takes into account several factors in relation to a child’s wishes where there are concerns or allegations about parental alienation.
How can I protect myself from false allegations of parental alienation?
If you are confident you have not contributed to the denigration of your child’s relationship with their parent, you must seek legal advice to address this parental conflict and learn the avenues available to you to work towards a resolution. For detailed insights into what to do if you are being accused of parental alienation, visit this dedicated page.
Parental Alienation Lawyers Canberra, NSW & Australia-wide
To explore your options and take pro-active steps to resolution, talk to one of our experienced team members.
Expect compassionate, expert guidance and strategic insights for decisive action.
