The Border Crisis and Pennsylvania Custody Law
Custody is in the news regarding the separated migrant children at the US-Mexican border. The situation is tragic, and, since some of the children are being held in Pennsylvania facilities, it brings up interesting points in Pennsylvania child custody law.
When a child is separated from their parent, psychological damage can ensue. For instance, parental alienation is frequently practiced by spouses during nasty divorces or separations. Parental alienation is a process of psychological manipulation of a child into showing unwarranted fear, disrespect, or hostility towards a parent so that he or she doesn’t want to be with other parent. I encounter this frequently in my work with divorce cases involving custody.
Richard A. Warshak, PH.D analyzed parental alienation in his journal for the Family Law Quarterly. Studies on persuasion and attitude change explain how a child’s predominantly negative opinion of a parent is liable to become deeply entrenched and highly resistant to modification even in the face of information that directly contradicts misconceptions (Warshak, 2003).
Do not let your “ex” place a permanent divide between you and your children because of your own disagreements. If you anticipate that your divorce will result in litigation, Elissa C. Goldberg is an experienced trial attorney who can ensure that your interests are protected.
Contact my office at 215-345-5259 to schedule a free consult about your custody issue.
– Siena Cerra for the Law Office of Elissa C. Goldberg, Esquire
Law Office of Elissa C. Goldberg
107 North Broad Street, Suite 211
Doylestown, PA 18901