Ways To Prepare For Child Custody Issues In Your Divorce
If you suspect that you and your spouse will be fighting over custody of your children during your upcoming divorce, it might be wise for you to take time to prepare for this battle. Preparing for it may help you have a better chance of winning the battle, and here are some of the things you may want to consider doing to help your case.
Understand the Key Factors that Affect Custody
When courts are faced to make decisions about child custody, they tend to look at several factors before making the decision on where the kids will live. The main factor is the child's best interest, and that is something that will depend on the situations, environments, and stability of each of the parents in the case. Courts view the home life of each parent, each parent's participation and involvement with the kids, and other factors relating to the physical and emotional stability of each parent.
Keep a Record of Events
Having an understanding of what factors matter to courts will help you prepare to fight this battle, and a good place to start is by keeping a record of events. You should spend months recording things such as where the kids spent their extra time, each parent's involvement with the activities the kids were involved in, and who financially supplied the needs the kids had. Documenting these types of things will offer a record you can use in court to fight for your kids.
Document Any Issues You See with Your Spouse
As you record events in your life that involve the kids, it is also a good idea to document any issues you see or experience with your spouse. If your spouse is drinking a lot, document the nights he or she was at the bar. If your spouse was angry with you and yelled at you in front of the kids, document it. Having a record of all these things can help you win your case.
Stay in the Home
One last thing to know is that you should not leave the home you are living in if you want to get custody of your kids unless the environment is too dangerous for you or the kids. If you have to leave, make sure you take the kids with you.
Child custody battles can be difficult, costly, and overwhelming, but it is worthwhile to fight for custody if you believe that your kids would be much better off living with you. You should also seek help from a good divorce lawyer like Gomez May LLP for assistance with your case.
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