California
What is parental alienation, and how do California courts handle it?
Quick answer
“Parental alienation” is a term people use when one parent turns a child against the other parent, for example by running them down or blocking contact. The California custody statutes we read for this page do not use the term; judges deal with that kind of behavior through the best-interest rules, which include which parent is more likely to support the child’s contact with the other parent.
Researched by Dan Martin, Legal Researcher · Published by Onbello Legal · Last updated October 2026
What the law says
Family Code section 3040(a)(1): in making an order granting custody to either parent, “the court shall consider, among other factors, which parent is more likely to allow the child frequent and continuing contact with the noncustodial parent, consistent with Sections 3011 and 3020.”
Section 3020(b) declares a state policy “to ensure that children have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage, or ended their relationship,” except when that contact would not be in the child’s best interest, and section 3020(a) makes the child’s health, safety, and welfare the court’s primary concern and declares that children “have the right to be safe and free from abuse.” Section 3011(a)(3) lists “The nature and amount of contact with both parents” among the best-interest factors.
Section 3027.1(a) addresses false reports: if the court determines that an accusation of child abuse or neglect made during a custody case “is false and the person making the accusation knew it to be false at the time the accusation was made,” it may impose money sanctions, up to the accused party’s costs of defending the accusation, plus reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in recovering the sanctions.
What to do next
Describe specific events in your declaration, such as dates of missed or blocked visits and what was said, with messages or records attached, rather than relying on a label. If the other parent is not following an existing order, see the enforcement options. When a custody dispute poses a substantial danger to the child’s best interest and counseling is in the child’s best interest, Family Code section 3190 lets the court order counseling for the parents and the child for up to one year.
Last checked against the sources above on October 8, 2026.
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This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws and local rules vary and change. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed family-law attorney in your state.
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