Chicago Divorce Attorney - recognizing the 'co-opting' tactic
When a parent is being deprived of contact or communication with a child, the cut-off parent's relatives and friends are often a source of emotional (and sometimes financial) support. They cheer on the cut-off parent as he or she battles in court, seeking to protect the child's future. However, sometimes an alienating parent will employ the tactic of 'co-opting' -- making a secret, side deal with one or more key supporters of the cut-off parent, to have secret visits with the child, with the condition that the cut-off parent not be told about this secret arrangement . That secret? That the supporter is now being freely given the very thing the cut-off parent is hungering for -- visits and communication with the child! The result is that the supporter suddenly loses all energy for the fight . They either retreat into the background or become actively hostile to the cut-off parent. The cut-off parent is now faced with a sudden, unbelievable and unexplained