In many custody disputes, Guardian ad Litems (GALs) are presented as neutral advocates for children’s best interests. However, growing evidence suggests that GALs can actually do more harm than good, especially in cases involving parental alienation.

A recent article by K. M. Peterson Law highlights serious flaws in how GALs and therapists handle alienation cases. The article explains how these professionals often fail to recognize manipulation, favoring the alienating parent or giving undue weight to a child’s “preferences”—even when those preferences are the direct result of psychological coercion. This failure can permanently sever a child’s relationship with the targeted parent, enabling and reinforcing alienation rather than addressing it.

Key takeaways from the article:

 • GALs and therapists often misunderstand alienation, treating it as a “high-conflict” case instead of recognizing the coercion involved.

 • Many GALs place too much weight on what children say, despite overwhelming evidence that alienated children are pressured into rejecting the targeted parent.

 • The legal system tends to side with GAL recommendations, even when they are based on flawed assumptions rather than legitimate psychological evaluations.

You can read the full article here: 

https://www.kmpetersonlaw.net/common-pitfalls-of-therapists-and-guardian-ad-litems-in-alienation-cases-and-unreasonable-preferences-of-the-alienated-child/

This is exactly why we need to push for systemic changes in family court. GALs should be trained to recognize parental alienation, and courts must be held accountable for blindly accepting their recommendations. Your support in signing and sharing this petition can help make that happen.

Thank you for standing up for the rights of alienated parents and children. Let’s keep fighting for change!