Laying The Ground Work For Your Child Custody Case
For anyone who is considering a divorce from a spouse with whom you share a child it's important to keep your child's well-being in mind too. Even before you begin the process you'll need to be laying the foundations for the child custody case to come.
By building your custody case early you'll stand a better chance of the results being both in your child's best interest and yours:
Keep Your Attorney Informed
Your best chance of reaching a child custody arrangement in your favor is with the aid of a family law professional. However, without all the details of your marriage, finances and your spouse's behavior, your attorney may end up limited in what they can do to improve your position in the eyes of the court.
Making sure they're well-informed will help them to prepare for potential character attacks, defamatory statements made by your spouse or their lawyer and weather any potential scrutiny by the court.
The more you document about your marriage leading up to the divorce proceedings, and following any separation agreement, the more you can share with your attorney. Find records that might be pertinent, including spending habits and indications of personal responsibility for both you and your spouse. Your attorney may be able to use these to show a pattern of behavior that can bolster your case while weakening that of your spouse.
Involving an Older Child
The easiest way for a solid custody case to unravel is for your child to contradict you. While this won't be a problem with young children, pre-teens, adolescents and teenagers are often consulted by family court judges. Their statements are often an influential factor in the court's final decision on custody arrangements.
Don't put words into your child's mouth, and don't bad mouth your spouse where they can hear you. Instead, talk to them about their feelings and what they think about their potential options. Avoid leading the conversation though, and instead use it as a way to help guide your efforts for their benefit. This will help you avoid earning their resentment, and improve the likelihood that their statements in court improve your standing as the primary custodial parent.
Child custody cases can be some of the ugliest parts of any divorce process, so it's in your best interest to minimize the harmful effects it has on your child. With a strong case, and attention to your child's welfare, you stand a better chance of coming away with an arrangement that benefits you, your child and limits the negative side-effects to their relationship with your spouse.
To learn more, contact a company like Waters & Associates, Attorneys At Law with any questions you have.