Parental Alienation

In a minority of cases, the circumstances of the family breakup, or the functioning of one or both parents, leads to a situation where children cannot develop a proper relationship, as they need to, with each parent.

There are circumstances where there is a genuine issue in relation to whether a child can safely spend time with another parent, even on a supervised basis. However, what differentiates intractable disputes is the nature and tone of the disagreement between parents, and the extent to which the children of the family are directly or indirectly exposed to the adult conflict.

Members of Harcourt see these cases all too frequently, and can advise from the start as to the need for findings of fact, assessment of parents and children, on quality of evidence and where these disputes might lead. Parents in these situations need careful and realistic advice about what is happening to them and their families, and this calls for expertise in advocacy, psychology and empathy.

Our approach is to work with clients throughout proceedings and to ensure that they make their decisions based on the current law, the psychological theory applied to intractable disputes and alienation and we hope to assist people in these very difficult cases to move towards a resolution which is in the best interests of the child.

Featured Cases:

• Warwickshire County Council v The Mother & Ors [2023] EWHC 399 (Fam)
• Y & X (Children) [2020] EWFC 15