3 Mistakes That Could End Up Jeopardizing Your Child Custody Case
by Joyce Diaz
Getting divorced isn't at the top of anyone's list. When you get married, you expect to start a family and build your life together. Unfortunately, things sometimes happen that are out of your control. Before you know it, you find yourself in divorce court fighting for custody of the children. If this sounds like something you are dealing with right now, here are a few things you need to avoid to prevent damaging your case.
Not focusing on who really matters.
Regardless of how upset you might be at the other party, you have to remember who matters the most. That person is the child involved. Think about what is in their best interest. Don't think about what you want. Stop and consider what the children want and need. Each state has its own guidelines that determine how the custody is going to be split. The judge is also going to look at things like who takes care of the kids at home, who handles their education, whether a parent has a history of alcohol and drug use, who is there to support the children morally and emotionally and which household is going to be safer for the children. All of these things come into play, so be prepared to show that you are the better parent in the case.
Not documenting interactions.
Not only will the judge listen to what you have to say, but they will also look at any evidence you might have regarding your case. Take notes about what goes on when the children are visiting the other parent. Document whether the other party came when they were supposed to and if they spent the amount of time with the children that they were allowed to. If your child comes home upset about something that happened when they were at the other parents' home, you need to write that down. All of the small details matter.
Talking trash.
Even though your emotions might get the best of you, don't let it show. Avoid saying anything negative about the other party to the judge. Discuss the things that your ex does with your lawyer and let them handle it from there. Evidence is crucial. Unless your lawyer tells you to say something negative about the other individual, keep everything positive and factual.
By not making one of the mistakes above, you can minimize your chances of losing out on precious time with your children. For more information on how to improve the outcome of your case, contact a child custody attorney.
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About Me
Hello. My name is Stephanie Laurel. I have recently been through a divorce, and although I don’t wish it on anyone, I do wish that everyone could come out of the proceedings feeling they have been taken care of. My husband and I had been married twenty-eight years. We have four children, two of which are still under eighteen years of age. We owned the home we lived in and had a vacation home in a different state. We are civilized people, we get along fairly well considering, but no matter how much we thought we could go through the divorce process without lawyers, it wasn't possible. We each hired a divorce attorney to represent us. Most of the negotiations went well, but when we hit a rough spot the attorneys took over. Thank goodness. I’m going to share more about the experience and hope it helps you.