These methods will help ease the burden of a custody battle.
Going through a divorce can certainly be a challenge, but the entire situation can become more complicated when you and your soon-to-be-ex spouse have children together. Naturally, you may both want custody of your children, but in many cases, one parent ends up with primary custody. It is vital to state your concerns and causes in the best possible manner. A competent custody lawyer can help you through the process.
1. Maintain a Stable Environment
Sure, going through a divorce can be messy. You might find yourself temporarily living in an apartment or suddenly having to search for a job as a means of supporting yourself. The fact remains, however, that if you want to end up with primary custody of your child, you need to prove that you can provide a stable environment for him or her. This means not only providing a steady and safe place in which to live, but also having a stable income. It also means not moving so far away as to impact the other parent’s visitation rights.
2. Bite Your Tongue
Another important thing to keep in mind when going through a child custody dispute is that you should never, under any circumstances, talk badly about your spouse in front of your children. Not only is doing so bad for your children’s relationships with their other parent, but it’s also something that could get you in trouble when it comes to the outcome of your custody dispute. If it gets back to your spouse and his or her lawyer that you’ve been making negative comments about your spouse and the divorce situation, surely this will be used against you in court.
3. Just Be Involved
Above all else, the best thing you can do to increase your chances of success in a child custody dispute is to simply take an active interest in your child’s life and stay involved. After all, the parent who provides the child’s primary care is usually the one with the upper hand. Therefore, you need to be providing as much support to your child as you can; this means not only being there to care for your child’s financially, but emotionally and developmentally as well. Nobody wants to find themselves in a child custody dispute, but by keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be in a better position if and when the matter goes to court.
If you require legal assistance in other areas of Family Law you may always contact Damien McKinney of The McKinney Law Group to discuss your case further. He can be reached by phone at 813-428-3400 or by e-mail at [email protected].