Tips For Winning Child Custody, Part 1

If you are caught up in divorce proceedings, it can be an very stressful experience, even when the divorce is friendly, and not filled with anger. When you have an uncontested divorce, the issues of child custody can usually be taken care of by mutual agreement, without lots of drama and disagreement. When a divorce is contested and filled with anger, however, the matter of who gets to have custody of the children can become a major combat zone. If you should find yourself involved in this kind of situation, there are certain things that you should try to do to help improve the odds that you will be able to win your struggle to be granted custody of your children.

* Be very careful that you don’t expose your children to environments that are not healthy, or that could prove harmful to them in any way. If you smoke, by all means stop – at least when your children are around you! If stopping is totally impossible (that is, if cigarettes are harder to give up than your children), then at the least, you must not smoke when you are with them. Not only is it extremely harmful to their health, but your exposing them to a known health hazard can provide a very effective weapon for your former spouse to use against you during the proceedings.

* If you have started a relationship with a new romantic partner (or are continuing one that caused the divorce), be very careful when it comes to open displays of affection with your new love interest. This is vital, for a couple of reasons: one, it can be very unsettling to your children when they observe this, because they probably still have strong feelings of loyalty to, and affection for, your former partner. Two, the court will usually take a dim view of it if children are being involuntary witnesses to a highly sexualized or erotic environment. You most also make sure that you are spending sufficient time with your children to meet their needs, rather than ignoring them, and spending all your time with your new partner.

* Give adequate consideration to where your children want to live. You should know what their preference is, even if it is not with you. If your children have a strong preference for living with your former partner, insisting on gaining custody of them can be both futile, and damaging to your future relationship with them, if you pursue it. The only exception to this warning is in situations where you have legitimate concerns for their safety if they remain with your ex – and even then, you must be prepared for backlash from the children if you prevail.

* Be as involved as possible in the lives of your children throughout the duration of the custody process. By doing this you will cast yourself in the most favorable light in the eyes of the Court. If you seem to the Court to have left your children to the care of your former spouse, you will almost certainly lose your custody battle.

* Do your everything possible to hire a very competent attorney who can really help you with your custody case. An attorney who holds your best interests as a top priority will be your best ally in your quest for custody of your children. Unfortunately, finding that kind of attorney is often a real gamble.

As a result, you need to have another resource at your disposal, that can provide an alternate source of important information and advice to help you. That way, if your attorney turns out to be indifferent and simply interested in collecting fees while doing as little actual work as possible, you have another source of help. Another type of situation that will often arise with an attorney is that they are simply not able to keep up with all the relevant psychological and legal theories, the kinds of evidence, and the types of allegations that will work (or will fail to work) in the courtroom.

The best way to get your hands on this kind of important support information is to obtain a Custody Guide that is written by real experts in the field. Experts who specialize in Child Custody have the experience and know-how to compile the needed information, keep it current, and present it in a way that makes it possible for a lay person to comprehend it, and use it, effectively. There are a number of sources for this type of guide that will help you navigate your way through the often confusing legal landscape that is Child Custody. The links in the resource box will provide further information.

Learn more about the best ways to win your custody fight. Receive copies of two FREE reports about child custody by clicking: Free Child Custody Reports. Then, find more resources that can help you in your fight for custody at Custody Matters. Free reprint avaialable from: Tips For Winning Child Custody, Part 1.