Seeking Child Custody Help
When dreaming of our child's life we do not normal foresee a need to seek child custody. Unfortunately it is happening more often lately, that the children become caught in the middle of their parents battle. Unfortunately, the parents feelings for each other will fuel their desire to win the case or beat the other parent, instead of focusing on their original intent, to spend the most time with the child they love. The battle isn't always for worthy reasons though. In spite of why, you are seeking help with your child custody case and we have some ideas for you to keep in mind.
Make sure you are working with a competent attorney. When it comes to custody matters, you need to find an attorney who has a lot of experience in Family Court. A "sanctioned" lawyer isn't necessarily your best move for this type of case. You will have to go with someone who preferably limits themselves to matters of family and custody cases. These attorneys have a lot more familiarity with the operations of Family Court (which is quite unlike Criminal or Civil Court). You need to get an attorney who is knowledgeable about working with children and knows what judges look for when they make decisions about what is best for the children. It is beneficial to be working with someone who also has tons of experience collaborating with Child and Family Services, on the account that they will be familiar with what is necessary for making the Department of Child and Family Services content if they are asked to come in and mediate.
There are a few instances that neither parent receives custody of the children in question. Once in a while, if the situation is particularly dire, a judge will award custody to another family member or appoint a guardian from within the child services system. This can happen, even though it isn't ideal for anyone, especially if neither parent can prove they can be the providers for the household.
Even if your lawyer doesn't mention this scenario you should prepare yourself for the possibility.
It's easy to get caught up in your wants and needs and forget that your children will want a say in what happens to them too. One of the biggest failures when people seek child custody help is failing to talk to their kids. Adults often decide that the kids will just have to deal with whatever decision is made for them instead of including them in the decisions. When your kids are very young, this is good. It's a good idea however when they are older to ask their opinions. Even as early as age 4 or 5 children can be very opinionated about whom they choose to spend the bulk of their time with. The judge may even want to hear from the kids.
Nobody desires to confess they need a helping hand with child custody. When a baby is born the parents generally don't picture that one day they may need to involve the law for make decisions as their child's best interests. The most important thing to keep in mind when managing custody issues is that it is not your needs that are trying to be met, but the needs of your children. Tread carefully and make sure you know the laws in your state. You don't want to be sideswiped!
Make sure you are working with a competent attorney. When it comes to custody matters, you need to find an attorney who has a lot of experience in Family Court. A "sanctioned" lawyer isn't necessarily your best move for this type of case. You will have to go with someone who preferably limits themselves to matters of family and custody cases. These attorneys have a lot more familiarity with the operations of Family Court (which is quite unlike Criminal or Civil Court). You need to get an attorney who is knowledgeable about working with children and knows what judges look for when they make decisions about what is best for the children. It is beneficial to be working with someone who also has tons of experience collaborating with Child and Family Services, on the account that they will be familiar with what is necessary for making the Department of Child and Family Services content if they are asked to come in and mediate.
There are a few instances that neither parent receives custody of the children in question. Once in a while, if the situation is particularly dire, a judge will award custody to another family member or appoint a guardian from within the child services system. This can happen, even though it isn't ideal for anyone, especially if neither parent can prove they can be the providers for the household.
Even if your lawyer doesn't mention this scenario you should prepare yourself for the possibility.
It's easy to get caught up in your wants and needs and forget that your children will want a say in what happens to them too. One of the biggest failures when people seek child custody help is failing to talk to their kids. Adults often decide that the kids will just have to deal with whatever decision is made for them instead of including them in the decisions. When your kids are very young, this is good. It's a good idea however when they are older to ask their opinions. Even as early as age 4 or 5 children can be very opinionated about whom they choose to spend the bulk of their time with. The judge may even want to hear from the kids.
Nobody desires to confess they need a helping hand with child custody. When a baby is born the parents generally don't picture that one day they may need to involve the law for make decisions as their child's best interests. The most important thing to keep in mind when managing custody issues is that it is not your needs that are trying to be met, but the needs of your children. Tread carefully and make sure you know the laws in your state. You don't want to be sideswiped!
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