Understanding and Proving Parental Alienation in Texas

 Posted on June 17, 2025 in Child Custody

When parents' relationships deteriorate, emotions can run high and easily turn to spite. Unfortunately, parents sometimes involve their children in disputes, using them to alienate the other parent. Complex child custody issues like these require careful investigation and legal intervention. If you think this is happening to you, you need an Austin child custody attorney to explain your legal options and help you build a case to prove parental alienation.

What Is Parental Alienation?

In the passive form, parental alienation can look like one parent undermining the child’s ability to see the other parent, like trying to withhold parenting time or not letting the child come to the phone. More directly, it may look like one parent consantly talking badly about the other parent to the child, divulging inappropriate details about the parents' separation, or shaming the child for speaking positively about the other parent. No matter how it shows up, parental alienation aims to poison how the child views a parent. 

According to the Texas Family Code Sec. 153.002, the court’s primary consideration is always "the best interest of the child," and parental alienation is rarely in a child's best interests. The law emphasizes mental and emotional welfare as the judge’s central concern. When a child is caught in the crossfire of dueling parents, the focus of co-parenting strays from protecting the child’s best interests.

In Texas, you must be able to demonstrate how your co-parent’s behavior constitutes parental alienation. If the court notices a pattern and determines that the parent’s behavior is damaging to the child, it may determine that you have grounds for altering or enforcing the custody arrangement. The first step is to identify signs of parental alienation.

Recognizing the Signs of Parental Alienation

Signs of parental alienation from the child can include:

• Rejecting you unjustifiably

• Showing no signs of guilt after being hostile toward you

• Displaying a rigid stance toward you instead of a healthy balance of feelings

• Using uncharacteristically mature language or borrowed scenarios in conversation

• Showing automatic and unwavering support for the other parent

• Refusing to visit or communicate with you

Often, children who are victims of parent alienation will believe that their rejection of the parent is their own. They are not typically mature enough to recognize the manipulation. 

This is not a comprehensive list. If you notice your child is acting differently toward you, contact an experienced attorney about the signs to discuss your legal options.

What Evidence is Needed to Prove Parental Alienation in a Texas Child Custody Case?

Detailed records of the alienating parent’s behaviors are critical for a complex custody issue like parental alienation. You can start by documenting instances when your co-parent made derogatory statements about you in front of your child. Witnesses are another valuable form of evidence. Friends and family members who have observed your co-parent’s behavior can offer statements or testify regarding what they have seen. Talk to your attorney about the potential need for expert witnesses, such as mental health specialists, who can provide objective insights into how parental alienation is impacting your child. These witnesses can be a powerful component of your legal strategy.

Contact an Austin, TX Child Custody Attorney Today

Parental alienation can have a profoundly negative impact on a child’s development and well-being. If you feel it could be happening to you and your child, the Travis County, TX child custody lawyers at Powers Kerr & Rashidi, PLLC can help. Call us today at 512-610-6199 to schedule a consultation and discuss the legal avenues you can pursue to stop parental alienation.