Getting a divorce is never a pleasant scenario, and it gets even more unpleasant when child custody is involved. Many parents end up making mistakes that could cost them their time with their children. Courts around the world always make decisions that are healthy and beneficial for the child, and if you at any point put yourself as a parent first, you could immediately lose your right as a parent. So here are some mistakes you should altogether avoid when dealing with a divorce.
Putting Yourself Before The Children
First off, you have to remember that any court hearing involving children will always end up with the best decision for the child. Meaning that making a decision that won’t better the child’s standard of living is a very costly mistake. For example, if you decide to move the child to a new environment (perhaps a different state), they will have to adjust to living there, have to make new friends, and so, and it might be uncomfortable for them. So while you understandably want to spend as much time with your child as possible, you should do what’s best for them – as any court or social firm will do precisely that.
Neglecting Your Children
One way to completely ruin your chances of sole child custody is by neglecting your children. If you fail to spend time with your children, the jury will have no choice but to find another caretaker for the child. It would help if you tried to send them off to school in the mornings and be the one to read a story and tuck them in at night. Or take them to watch a movie once in a while. Or come for their sports games. All these show that you’re a responsible parent willing to make some sacrifices to make sure your children are happy.
Shunning Your Former Spouse
Your divorce shouldn’t involve your children. You should be willing to negotiate and compromise with your ex-spouse. This will save a reasonable amount of time and energy in the court proceedings. How you react to certain things your former spouse says or does will significantly impact your character evaluation. Try to avoid blackmailing or harassing the other parent, and stay as composed as possible whenever you’re in contact.
Entering New Relationships
As emphasized earlier, the judge always has the children’s best interest at heart. While divorce means you’re technically allowed to be in a relationship with someone new, children (especially younger ones) get very agitated with the idea of living with a new “parent.” Your former spouse could also use this against you. For instance, he or she could claim that you were never a faithful person in the first place, and you caused the family to split up. Therefore, you may want to consider foregoing relationships until your child custody hearings are over.
Losing Your Temper
It’s understandable how easy it is to lose your cool when dealing with your ex or the court. It is, nonetheless, critical to stay as calm as possible. If you find yourself in a heated argument with your ex, try to calm down right away. You don’t want to be in a scenario where you physically touch or threaten your ex, which might result in a domestic violence charge. If this happens, you may lose custody of your children or be forced to accept supervised visits. It’s better to avoid shouting at your ex or your children.
Contact Lamb, Carroll, Papp and Cunabaugh, P.C., Attorneys at Law today for legal help.