Parental Alienation: A Robust Response

• Published date: 25 August 2022
• Subject Matter: Family and Matrimonial, Family Law
• Law Firm: Ian Walker Family Law and Mediation Solicitors
• Author: Ian Walker Family Law And Mediation Solicitors

A robust response to parental alienation

Parental alienation, where one parent's behaviour has the effect (intended or not) of alienating a child against the other parent, is the subject of considerable debate in family law circles.

And a large part of that debate relates to the perception that the family courts are weak when dealing with parental alienation. But this is not necessarily the case, as demonstrated by a recently-published judgment of the Family Court in Manchester.

Removing the father from the child's life

The judgment concerned a case involving a child born in 2016. The application before the court was by the father for, amongst other things, a child arrangements order.

Briefly, the history of the case was as follows.

The parents were not married, and their relationship ended when the child was born. The father was not named on the child's birth certificate, and as a result did not have parental responsibility for the child.

Notwithstanding this, the father maintained that he had a close...