Although parental alienation claims are being increasingly raised in Illinois custody disputes, courts tend to approach these claims with caution. Judges fully recognize that one parent can negatively influence a child against the other parent, yet they also understand that not every strained parent-child relationship is the product of parental alienation.
This means that accusing a co-parent of parental alienation can backfire if it is not supported by strong evidence. Illinois family courts always place a child’s best interests (750 ILCS 6/602.7) above all else. When parental alienation is alleged, judges must separate actual parental manipulation from normal family conflict. And, in fact, in high-conflict divorces, parental
Because of this, Illinois courts look closely at patterns of behavior rather than isolated incidents. This makes evidence and credibility that much more important. The careful balancing act of family courts makes parental alienation claims among the most challenging to definitively prove.