How to Prepare for a Child Custody Battle
Divorce is never easy, but it can be especially difficult to navigate when children are involved. Do you anticipate a rough child custody fight in your future? If so, you’ll want to make sure you go in prepared for any contingency. Here are some tips to keep in mind to get through this difficult process.
Make Sure You Attempt a Settlement If Possible
When going through a divorce with children involved, you need to put your kids ahead of your own personal emotions. You might be angry at the other side, but your personal vendetta won’t improve your children’s situation.
If you can keep the worst of the custody battle out of court, you owe it to your kids to do so. Reach out to the other side to at least see if they are willing to sit down with you and talk it out. You don’t have to like your spouse, but you do have to view them as the father or mother of your children and someone who might be a part of your life for years to come.
Make Sure You Hire Your Own Attorney
While attempting to settle out of court is a good idea, don’t actually show up to the negotiation table without an attorney who is ready to fight for you and your kids. Divorce can get emotional quickly and you need someone on your side who has the ability to think rationally even when you do not.
You might think that keeping the lawyers out of it will keep things from getting nasty, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Each side of the divorce having an attorney can help keep things civil both in the negotiating room and the courtroom even if the spouses themselves become upset.
Make Sure Your Children Know It’s Not the End of the World
It’s not uncommon for a child who was previously doing well in school to start acting out when drama is going on around them. You need to do everything you can to keep the drama to a minimum and at least keep your kids out of it. Do not talk negatively about the other parent in front of your kids, and make sure your kids know that both parents still love them very much.
Even if things get especially ugly and you do believe that the other party is unfit to be a parent, you should not tell your children this while the battle is going on. The court might decide differently and then your kids will be spending time with someone you have created a negative image for. That won’t benefit anyone long-term.
Make Your Case but Be Open to Reason
If you are open to a joint custody arrangement, then you also need to be open to reason. It can be common during divorce for one spouse to become angry and decide to use the children as a weapon against the other party. Make your own case but be willing to see that the other parent loves your kids just as much as you do.
Divorce is never a fun process, but it can be especially painful when you battle over children. Hire an attorney before you do anything else and then attempt to settle if possible. You might not like your spouse anymore, but you owe it to your kids to try and keep this from getting ugly. Keep an open mind during the process with an eye toward reducing the drama whenever possible.
At the Law Offices of Lynda Latta, LLC, we want to help you get through the difficult times as smoothly as possible. We’ve served as a full-service family law firm since 1994 and have the experience you need to win your case. Contact us today for more information.