We all begin our lives with big dreams, and many of those dreams consist of a happy family and marriage, but unfortunately sometimes it does not always work out in the end. Many parents feel that they need to fight for custody of their kids with their spouse, and find that with the added emotions of the divorce the battle can become quite nasty. There are several things that every parent should keep in mind when deciding the custody of their children, and below is a list comprised of all the issues that every parent should take notice of.
Use this checklist as a how-to guide for your custody battle:
• Communicate directly or through your lawyer. Do not use your child as your personal receptionist to your spouse. Your child is going to have a hard enough time dealing with your divorce without you and your spouse putting them in charge of transmitting your messages to your spouse.
• Do not use your child against your spouse. Your job as a parent is to do whatever is in the best interest of your children. No matter how badly you were hurt by your spouse do not try to restrict your spouse's visitation of your children just because you are angry with them. This of course does not hold true if your spouse is abusive, but if they are a good parent let them be, do not take the fact that they were not a good spouse out on your children.
• Keep your negative words about your spouse to yourself or share with friends. Do not bring your kids into the middle of your divorce. You should want your children to have a good relationship with both of their parents, and when you speak to your children in a negative manner about your spouse it puts them in a very difficult situation.
• Talk to your kids. It is important that you set some time aside to talk with your kids or spend time with them that does not involve the divorce or custody issues. You need to make sure to let your children know that you and your spouse both love them, and while your relationship with your spouse did not work out you will be there for your children. Children worry a great deal if they are the reason that their parents split up, so it is important to let them know that it was not their fault.
• Hire a skilled lawyer. You never want to enter into a legal fight without good representation. You want a lawyer that specializes in divorce and custody hearings to be by your side throughout your proceedings. While it may seem pricey for something that should be fairly straightforward it is well worth the price you will pay. You will want someone on your side fighting for you if things happen to get nasty.
Where to Get Help Making Child Custody Issue Easier for Your Child
If you or a loved one is going through a separation or divorce, or expects to go through a separation or divorce, consult with a qualified family law attorney.
This article is brought to you by MATCHMAKING.
I have to agree with your third statement. A kid should maintain a positive perception towards his parents. However, that could change if the kid experiences some traumatic abuse from either parent. On a different note, in between custody battles, parents should set aside their personal interest and feelings and prioritize the welfare of the kid.
ReplyDeleteMike Clark