Although there are a lot of issues to hash out in your divorce, properly addressing child custody might be your top priority. While most people hope to amicably resolve their custody issues, you might know that’s not realistic under your circumstances. If that’s the case, you’re looking for a way to win your custody battle. While the process can be hard-fought, there are ways to better position yourself for success.
What can you do to win your custody case?
You shouldn’t go into your custody case just hoping for the best. Instead, you should diligently prepare your strategy so that you head into negotiations and court armed with the best legal arguments possible under the circumstances. Here are some ways that you can improve your chances of winning your case:
- Demonstrate that you’ve taken an active role in your child’s life: Although your parental rights don’t cease to exist if you’ve been passive in your child’s life, taking an active role makes it clear that you need to continue to be pivotal in their life, thereby increasing the chances that a court will side with you. Therefore, you should consider attending your child’s school functions and extracurricular activities, schedule and attend medical appointments and participate in broader family activities.
- Be prepared to defend yourself: If you’re in a contentious custody battle, your child’s other parent might try to attack you and your parenting capabilities. Be prepared for this and develop strategies to counter their assertions.
- Show your willingness to work with the other parent: A court is more likely to grant you increased visitation or even physical custody if it’s confident that you’ll coordinate parenting time and facilitate communication between the child and the other parent. If you’re inflexible, the court will be more inclined to find another, less contentious custody arrangement than the one you want.
- Avoid putting your child in the middle: Speaking poorly about the other parent in front of your child or using your child as a weapon is a quick way to derail your custody case. You’ll also want to avoid using your child as a messenger, as it makes them feel uncomfortable spending time with you. Showing that you can keep your child out of the conflict of your divorce will portray your ability to responsibly parent your child and protect their emotional and psychological well-being.
- Use the evidence at hand: The character of your child’s other parent is going to be at issue in your custody case. Therefore, you should be on the lookout for any evidence that you can use to show that your child is better off in your custody. This could include records pertaining to criminality, mental health and substance abuse. Your attorney might be able to help you gain access to those records that you need.
- Remember that perception is everything: When determining custody, the court is going to take a holistic look at you and the other parent to determine who is best suited to care for your child. If you can remember that the way you present to court, both in person and on paper, is key to your case, you’ll be more likely to act in a way that creates a favorable record.
Are you ready to build the aggressive custody case that you need to win?
The arguments you make in your custody case need to be comprehensive, targeted, and aggressive. If you put forth a lackluster strategy, you may be denied the outcome that you want. That’s why now is the time to act to build your case.
