If you are involved in a child custody dispute, be sure to speak to your lawyer for the best things for your particular case. If you don’t yet have an attorney, consider Self Legal Group. We have experienced lawyers who will use the best available legal means to win your case.
Battling for custody of your child can feel less of a battle and more like a war.
Unfortunately, no legal dispute is easy, and it’s even harder when your children are involved. If you see a custody battle in your near future, we have some of the best child custody lawyers here at Self Legal Group, PLLC. Our experienced lawyers are prepared to use the best available legal means to win your case.
BEST ADVICE
As child custody lawyers, we’ve seen so many different variations of custody battles and watched this scene play out with various endings. We want our clients to have the best possible chance of winning their custody battle, so we took our knowledge and experience and created this short resource for you.
Here are some words of advice that will help you through a custody dispute and make a positive impression.
BE ON TIME
You may roll your eyes at the idea of “to be early is to be on time and to be on time is late,” but punctuality should be your new best friend. If the court order says you’ll have the kids back by 2:00 pm, there is no acceptable reason to be even one minute later than that. Regardless of what you may say when it comes to custody orders, the court has no leniency when it comes to punctuality.
DO NOT WITHHOLD THE CHILDREN
This one may seem like a no-brainer until your ex-partner arbitrarily stops paying their share of child support. It’s important to remember that child support and child custody are two separate issues. The decision to refuse the child(ren) from seeing their non-custodial parent if they haven’t paid their child support, is one that will not portray you favorably to the court. It’s important to support the other parent’s decision to continue to see the children. Keep custody and child support separate issues as they are viewed in the eyes of the law.
KEEP RECORDS
Buy a datebook and record pick-up and drop-off times, especially times that do follow a court order. Make notes about the state of the child(ren) — if they’ve been fed, if they are clean, what mood they are in etc. If you notice something significantly out of the ordinary, absolutely take photos. Do you suspect abuse? If you suspect physical abuse take the child(ren) to a medical doctor for treatment and documentation immediately. If you suspect psychological or emotional abuse take your child to a child psychologist. Most children in families going through a divorce can use someone to talk to anyway so it’s good to get them in with someone they trust even if you don’t suspect anything — it will give the psychologist a baseline knowledge of your child(ren).
PUT THEM FIRST
Naturally “them” in this heading is your child(ren). Do you best to make all of your decisions (professional, personal, emotional, etc), with the well-being and mental health of your child in mind? It’s your job and responsibility to support them and give them the best that you can. When the custody battle gets overwhelming or you feel bogged down by details, don’t forget the big picture — the happiness of your little one.
POSITIVE IMPRESSIONS
Do your best to make a positive impression on everyone you can during this process, including the people who may not directly influence the court’s final decision. The court will be looking for inconsistencies in character and will not necessarily favor the parent who flatters them most. Regardless of how you feel about them personally, it’s good to remember the classic idiom, “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Treat anyone possibly involved in the court process with respect and kindness because alienating them will increase the chances of the court returning with an unfavorable verdict.
SELF LEGAL GROUP, PLLC
We are a legal firm with a team of talented and experienced child custody lawyers on staff. We are dedicated to helping our clients find justice in every possible way that we can. If you’re interested, please contact us for a fifteen minute consultation.