This is a good question because it deals with an issue that the law either has not addressed or cannot effectively address.
First, is there any legally permissible and practicable way to force a child to talk with a parent? I don’t see how a parent whose child refuses to speak to him/her could compel that child through the legal process to speak with or otherwise communicate with that parent. Now, of course, if a parent and his/her lawyer wanted to get really creative about this problem, I can imagine that the parent and lawyer might dream up some kind of civil lawsuit against the child for the negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress or some other such nonsense, but in the end, I don’t see how one could use the legal system to compel a child to speak with or communicate with a parent if that child refuses to do so.
This does not mean, however, that a parent is powerless in dealing with a recalcitrant child. While a parent cannot neglect or physically or emotionally abuse a child in an effort to compel the child to speak with or otherwise communicate with that parent, there’s certainly nothing wrong with taking legal and reasonable disciplinary action against the child. Grounding, privilege restrictions and removal, even corporal punishment (yes, it’s legal in many jurisdictions) are options available to a parent, and they may work. For a parent to stride every other option, these are measures a parent can try and they may be worth trying under appropriate circumstances.
Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277