Managing Severe Cases of Parental Alienation

Managing Cases of Severe Parental Alienation, published by the State Bar of Texas, includes never-before-published material previously available only through Dr. Warshak’s trial testimony and consultation.

Some of the highlights:

3 key lessons for attorneys who represent clients whose children are at risk for becoming alienated.
10 drawbacks of the conventional default decision in which the court surrenders attempts to remedy severe alienation and leaves the children in the custody of the favored parent without scheduled contacts with the rejected parent.
essential ingredients to include in any recommendation or court order for counseling with severely estranged parents and children.
Why efforts to remedy severe alienation are likely to fail when children remain in the custody of the favored parent.
Why most expert witness opinions on remedying severe alienation are likely to be untrustworthy and may not meet legal standards of admissibility.
4 common errors made by professionals who lack relevant experience in remedying alienated parent-child relationships.
A frequent strategy used by favored parents and alienated children to mislead the court into thinking that there is no need for intervention, and how this strategy backfires when framed properly for the court.
Court orders that promote successful reconciliations.

Drawing on 90 references, this extensive article was prepared for, and is a chapter in the materials for, the State Bar of Texas Advanced Family Law Course. It goes beyond Dr. Warshak’s previous work by incorporating the results of his research and experience since his 2010 revised edition of Divorce Poison and three articles on Family Bridges. This information is indispensable for attorneys, judges, mediators, child custody evaluators, parenting coordinators, and therapists dealing with cases involving allegations of parental alienation, and for parents who want to ensure that their case has the benefit of the latest information.

Managing Severe Cases of Parental Alienation discusses:

characteristics, prevention, and consequences of severe parental alienation
rationale for interventions with families with severely alienated children
alternative options for the disposition of severe alienation cases
the role of mental health evidence in cases involving allegations of parental alienation
risks of interventions versus risks of maintaining the status quo
Family Bridges workshop for severe cases of parental alienation
severe parental alienation among young adults

Dr. Warshak regards this as his most useful and important article to date on parental alienation.

chapter with 90 reference citations
This item is included in Parental Alienation Collection and in the
Parental Alienation Collection + Welcome Back, Pluto.