Parental alienation is a parent’s use of psychological manipulation to turn a child or children against the other parent. This toxic behavior is damaging and may cause long term problems for the child as well as the parents. Courts take evidence of parental alienation seriously and may consider it in making or modifying child custody arrangements.
In Nevada, parental alienation is recognized as a serious issue that can impact child custody decisions. Nevada law prioritizes the best interests of the child in custody matters, and evidence of parental alienation could be considered contrary to those interests. According to Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), particularly NRS 125C.0035, the court considers multiple factors to determine the best interest of the child, including the level of conflict between the parents, the ability of the parents to cooperate to meet the needs of the child, and the mental and emotional health of the child. If one parent is found to be engaging in behavior that manipulates the child's feelings towards the other parent, thereby causing emotional harm, the court may view this as a factor that could influence custody and visitation arrangements. The court has the discretion to modify existing custody orders if it believes that parental alienation is occurring and is detrimental to the child's well-being.