What is parental alienation?

Parental alienation is the act of one parent turning the child against the other parent. While many people assume this to be the intentional act of distancing a child from another parent, the process might be wholly unconscious. The fact that the alienation was not intentional, however, does not diminish the devastating effect of one parent damaging a child’s relationship with the other parent.

How does this happen?

As the alienator, a parent has numerous tactics at his or her disposal to discredit the ex-spouse, including:

• Divulging unnecessary relationship details: The alienator might choose to share family secrets with the child that cast the other parent in a negative light. Instances of infidelity, for example, or even stories of past criminal activity can shade a child’s feelings.
• Bending or breaking custody guidelines: By missing appointments or being late to a custody exchange, the alienator can make the subtle, yet consistent, point that the other parent’s time is not important.
• Becoming protective of personal items: The alienator might become insistent that the child only brings the necessary clothing to custody exchanges. A favorite book, popular video games and comforting toys, however, will always stay at the alienator’s house. This can subconsciously build negative associations with the alienated parent.

Are there common signs that this is happening?

While certain actions of the alienator might raise red flags, the alienated parent must be aware of various signs or symptoms exhibited by the child, including:

• The child constantly and unfairly criticizes the alienated parent
• The child shows unwavering support for the alienator
• The child shows no guilt about mistreating the alienated parent
• The child shows no mixed or positive feelings toward the alienated parent – they are all negative feelings

What can be done?

It is important to act quickly and decisively. Make detailed records of events, dates and times of when you witnessed your ex’s lack of respect toward you in front of the child. Additionally, make notes of negative things your child has said to you that might have come from the other parent. Contact an experienced family law attorney and explain your worries. A lawyer can provide the suggestions and representation you need.

This is not, however, an excuse for a spouse to snoop through a partner’s private accounts. Doing so is not just often illegal, but can actually hurt – rather than help – the case.

Resist the temptation to snoop

Technology has evolved quickly, and many laws remain behind the times. However, privacy laws at the federal and state levels provide fairly robust protection from digital snooping. This makes spying on a spouse not just a legal gray area, but oftentimes outright illegal.

Despite this, there is an abundance of hardware and software that allows for easy prying. This can include:

• Spyware programs to track a user’s computer activities
• A hidden recorder or voice recording program
• Small, easily disguised GPS devices
• Inconspicuous spy cameras
• Logging into private accounts to comb through messages
• Keyloggers that record every keystroke

Finding evidence that confirms a suspicion of wrongdoing may feel gratifying. Its benefits stop there.

Illegally obtained evidence is not admissible in court, so does your case no good. In addition, snooping could be seen as a negative behavior that ultimately influences other divorce considerations, such as the final custody order. And of course, you could face criminal charges or a civil suit.

Lawful electronic discovery

Part of the job of a divorce attorney is to gather relevant evidence in accordance with the law. This applies to electronic records, not just physical documents. There are means to securing and obtaining things like bank records, text messages, browsing history, phone usage and more – but this must be done with strict adherence to all applicable laws.

There is a lot at stake in a divorce. It is an emotionally challenging time, particularly if there was wrongdoing involved. While the urge to gather up digital evidence by any means possible is tempting, it is best to resist. Speak to your lawyer about any suspicions or ideas, and they can help determine the appropriate – and most beneficial – path forward.

After divorce, you can keep your family home to maintain a sense of normalcy through all the change. So, instead of having your children live between two homes, you can implement a nesting arrangement. Through nesting, children will be full-time residents of the family home while parents take on the role children normally do, by splitting their time between two places. This includes living in the family home to take care of the kids and a separate dwelling when it’s not their turn with the kids. If you decide to carry out a nesting arrangement, then it’ll be crucial to evaluate how well it is working with your children and with your ex.

Although nesting can provide less commotion in your child’s life, it’s important to understand that witnessing the separation of their parents can still be painful. So, you should be sure to help your kids make sense of life after divorce by:

• Not arguing with your co-parent in front of your children
• Never asking your children to pass your messages along to your co-parent
• Keeping up with your children’s lives and letting them know they can rely on you
• Helping children talk through their feelings instead of keeping them internal

At some point, sharing the family home with your ex ever might become too much of a hassle. Maybe you don’t want to share bills anymore, you want to sell the family home or you are ready to start seeing other people. Thankfully, you can simply change your arrangement. Trying it out temporarily might allow you to see if nesting works for your family. And speaking with a family law expert can help you better understand how to create a successful parenting plan and custody arrangement.

For example, did you know that Google Maps can do more than just give you directions to where you need to go, and can actually help you get a better divorce settlement?

With Google street view, multi-lens cameras that have been mounted to the top of cars collect images from very perspective of a street.

For one man in Australia, Google Maps helped him catch his wife cheating. As the man was using Google Maps to find a vacation destination to take his wife to, he came across an image of a woman in a familiar looking outfit.

The woman in the familiar outfit was sitting with another man on a bench in Barranco, Peru, stroking his hair. Although Google blurs people’s faces when their cameras capture a person, the man was able to identify that it was his wife based on the clothing and other physical characteristics in the image.

The image the man found on Google maps was taken in 2013, but he was able to use it to get his wife to admit to her infidelity, ultimately leading to the couples divorce.

Speak to Divorce Lawyer in Rhode Island

If you are going through a divorce, get in touch with our attorneys to find out how our law firm can help you secure a fair outcome. The divorce process can be complicated and stressful, which is why we are here to guide you through your case. Let our attorneys use our experience and extensive resources to fight for you today.

Call 401-400-4254 to request a consultation with a Rhode Island divorce attorney.

The truth of the matter is, if your spouse chooses to handle this issue without proper legal counsel, care, and representation, this entire process will take much longer. This means your spouse will have to work that much harder to prevent any mistakes from being made. Additionally, your own legal team cannot help them, and they will have to survive this process alone.

Court appearances will most likely be incredibly frustrating, as you may feel as though he or she gets to speak as much as he or she chooses, while you have to have someone else speak on your behalf. There will be times you feel tempted to speak out and respond in place of your attorney. However, you must remember you are in the better position because you can rest assured everything is being handled carefully with a professional by your side.

Contact Our Committed & Compassionate Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers Today

TJC • ESQ is led by Rhode Island divorce attorneys who are dedicated to resolving our clients’ issues with ease. We know divorce is nothing anyone expects to deal with in their lifetime, which is why our legal team wants to make the transition as seamless as possible.

To speak to a trusted representative of our firm, you may reach us by calling 401-400-4254 at your earliest convenience.

One of the primary reasons our Rhode Island divorce lawyers of TJC • ESQ advise against online divorce services is because you aren’t going to get what you expect. These automated services will provide you automated solutions, which means you won’t get a personalized course of action. Another reason why you should avoid these online services is for the expected computed errors. Putting your future into the hands of a computer is a serious risk, as any small errors will not be caught as they would be by a person.

Additionally, you won’t be able to anticipate any possible responses from your ex. An online divorce service will leave you unprepared for what may come, while an in-person Rhode Island divorce attorney, such as ours at TJC • ESQ, will help you anticipate all possible outcomes–as opposed to the most linear one.

Contact Us

If you are in need of a Rhode Island divorce attorney who is willing to go above and beyond on your behalf, look no further than TJC • ESQ. Our legal team is committed to exceeding your expectations, regardless of any adversity or challenge in our way. We want to help you transition into the next chapter of your life as seamlessly as possible.

Interested in speaking to a member of our legal team? Contact us by calling 401-400-4254.

One of the most important ways in which social media can be detrimental to your divorce is privacy. Even if you feel your accounts are locked away for only your closest friends to see, the truth of the matter is, anyone has access to anything you post online. In a fit of anger, you may say something less than positive about your spouse or your children-if found, you can be sure this will be used against you.

Financially speaking, social media can be dangerous. When it comes to alimony or child support, all your finances will be thoroughly evaluated. If you happen to post a picture while on vacation, or perhaps of your latest shopping spree, even the most innocent post or photograph can be manipulated to incriminate you.

As you can see, the best protection is prevention. By removing yourself from all social media accounts until your divorce is finalized, or making sure you are as private as possible, you can go a long way when it comes to preventing any additional contentions in your divorce.

Contact Our Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers Today

The most important thing you can do when you are heading for divorce is make sure you are represented by the right Rhode Island divorce lawyer, such as ours at TJC • ESQ. We will advise you on the best course of action according to your specific situation.

To schedule an initial consultation, you may call us at {F:P:Site:Phone}.

Perhaps the most significant difference between legal separation and divorce is, divorce finalizes the end of the marriage while legal separation still allows you to remain married under the eyes of the law. The courts will not take into account any behavior following a legal separation in their decision-making, such as starting a new relationship, etc.

Another important distinction between the two is the way in which assets are divided. Legal separation under Rhode Island state law dictates that only three items can be decided upon by the courts: child issues such as custody and support, alimony, and “temporary concerns.” These concerns can range from any number of issues.

However, the courts will not make any determinations upon finances or the division of assets. People seeking legal separation are often looking for an extension of time during which they can either decide to reconcile or permanently separate. This is why the courts will not make any permanent decisions regarding finances as there still a chance of future reconciliation.

Contact Our Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers Today

At TJC • ESQ, we strive to do our very best on behalf of our clients. Our years of insight and success will be your greatest ally throughout any legal obstacles you may face. When you enlist the help of our reliable and dedicated Rhode Island divorce attorneys, you can rest assured that you are in capable and concerned hands fighting to protect you.

The greatest advances in technology in recent years are not just the smartphone itself, but also what it has allowed the average person to do. Apps and social media are breakthrough technologies that made it easier than ever to access new information, play recreational games, and connect with friends and family all around the world. Step even closer today in the timeline and you will find the advent of “cloud” storage, which keeps stores unfathomable amounts of data despite not needing physical storage space on a device.

Yes, the many changes of technology in such a short amount of time has altered the face of the world and our day-to-day lives. Perhaps most notable, romance, marriage, and even divorce have been impacted heavily yet subtly by new technologies.

Courtship, Marriage & Divorce in the Digital Age

Without sounding too much like a science fiction program, technology has become noticeably integrated into all facets of our lives. It is no surprise, then, to see that tech advances have changed the face of marriage and divorce as well.

Five major ways that technology upgrades have changed our relationships, for better or for worse, include:

• Social media shows us everything: Point to someone at random and they most likely are on at least one social media outlet, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat being among the most popular choices. Even octogenarians know how to pop open Facebook and see what their grandkids are doing. The catch with social media being everywhere is that it shows everyone everything. It is now easier than ever to catch untrustworthy spouses engaging in infidelity since social posts and Google Maps “check-ins” are two dozen a dime. Even if someone is careful not to post suspicious or untruthful activity onto a social media feed, there is a high chance that someone else who knows about it will. In effect, secrets have become harder to keep.
• Electronic discovery: Some dishonest spouses in divorce try to hide assets and important information from their soon-to-be ex in order to gain some sort of advantage in the divorce, like obtaining more property when marital assets are divided. In the digital age, squirreling away important information is next to impossible, especially when an experienced divorce attorney is helping manage the divorce. Nearly everything is tracked to some degree by data codes and online links. Long gone are the days of hiding financial ledgers in the basement.
• Technology addiction: Some psychology experts, sociologists, and marriage counselors see the rising popularity in handheld and everyday technology as the cause behind the rising divorce rates across the country, as well as the decline in new marriages. The fear – or at least the eyebrow-raising conclusion – is that people are addicted to the smartphones in their pockets so much so, they fail to care for current and budding relationships. Married couples may be inclined to just watch Netflix and barely talk to one another than try to grow closer or stay together. Newlyweds might rather scroll through their Instagram feeds for fun photographs of Paris rather than go out to the City of Love themselves. There have even been people who file for divorce and cite their spouse’s addiction to an online video game, like League of Legends!
• Online dating: Technology may be causing some splits, separations, and divorces, but it is also bringing people together, perhaps just as quickly as it divides them. Social applications geared for dating, like Tinder and OK Cupid, are massively popular, boasting the formation of hundreds of dates a day when all apps are considered. Some website and apps, like Match.com, are even focused on creating long-term relationships that eventually lead to marriage.
• Divorce is easier with technology: In another bit of good news, technology has actually helped make divorcing simpler. Any family lawyer with a few decades of experience can tell you how much paperwork had to be lugged around, signed, and filed for the average divorce. Thanks to everything going digital, you can just bring a flash drive in your pocket with you and not lose a thing. Or, you can use the flash drive as a backup and rely primarily on cloud stored information. Making new copies or sending a client a crucial file in the dead of the night is a breeze now, all thanks to technological advancements.

Rhode Island’s Leading Family Law Firm – 401-400-4254

At TJC • ESQ, our Rhode Island divorce lawyers have been practicing long enough to see the face of marriage and divorce change dramatically due to emerging technologies; Attorney Timothy Conlon has been a family law attorney since 1989. We have learned to use all of this tech to our client’s advantages, though. If you are going through a divorce or need to file for one, we can use our advanced knowledge of new equipment to discover hidden assets, find evidence of infidelity, send large files on the fly, and much more. To learn all about our law firm and services we offer, you can contact us online to set up an initial consultation.

The answer this question is: it depends. For those who are in complete disagreement with their future ex-spouse, this may not be possible. However, if you and your spouse are completely in agreement about the future, especially regarding your assets, finances, and children, you may have a much better chance of avoiding the court altogether. This is known as an uncontested divorce, and it allows both parties to walk away from the marriage as amicably as possible. However, the courts may still require you attend in order to preside over a hearing. This all depends on the specifics of your case, as well as litigation team behind it. Any family law concern is best met with a legal team you can trust, and we at TJC • ESQ want to be that for you and more.

Contact Our Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers

TJC • ESQ is led by truly impressive Rhode Island divorce attorneys, as we are compassionate to you and your struggles in the highest degree. Our legal team strives to go above and beyond on your behalf because we want nothing more than to see you succeed. Allow us to be an important and significant aspect of your future success throughout this challenging process.