Hiring a child custody law attorney in Frederick may become necessary if the parent with primary physical custody no longer allows visitation, stating that the child refuses to visit the other parent. The custodial parent may be telling the truth, but they cannot legally simply stop complying with court-ordered visitation. If a family court must get involved, the judge will want to understand the situation and why the child is protesting.
There are a few common scenarios in these cases that a child custody law attorney in Frederick is likely familiar with. The problem is sometimes referred to as parental alienation. Sometimes it happens naturally over time, and in other cases, one of the parents is an instigator.
Visitation Becomes Disruptive
Sometimes as a child gets older, they do not want to leave home and spend weekends with the other parent in a different town. This is disruptive to personal life and social relationships, which can become incredibly important as a youngster reaches middle school and especially high school. The relationship between this kid and the noncustodial parent may become increasingly strained and argumentative.
Lifestyle Changes Occur
Another situation develops when lifestyle changes occur. The custodial parent might remarry, for example, which may be a welcome event for the child who likes the stability of a two-parent home. In contrast, the other parent might remarry someone that the child does not care much for.
Driving a Wedge
A third scenario that a judge watches for involves the custodial parent feeling adversarial toward the noncustodial parent and trying to drive a wedge between this individual and the child. Gradually, these efforts may become effective, especially when lifestyle changes are occurring on one side or the other. But custodial parents cannot block visitation or they are in contempt of court. Some do this in the hopes that the other parent will simply get tired of the situation and back down.
Attorneys with an organization such as Russell & Heffner know that family court judges are dedicated to making sure that both parents and the children maintain healthy relationships. Visit us online to learn more about this particular law firm.
