What Your Attorney Needs To Know: Common Items Seen In Child Custody Cases
A child custody battle is stressful for everybody involved –
parents and children. If you’re to get the best possible outcome during
this time, you need to speak with an attorney and let them know
specific information so that the case can be argued favorably for you.
It’s tempting to retain some of the information for yourself. However,
there are some things a child custody lawyer needs to know if things
are to be resolved quickly and for the best.
Relationships
Children are affected by people who are always around them. Therefore,
they need to know what the living arrangements for everybody will
be. You need to demonstrate, if you want custody of the
children, that your environment will be safe and nurturing. You should
speak to the children and other adults in the home or those of your
former spouse and how the children relate to these folks.
If you’re not divorced but already involved with another person, the
chances of this being disclosed in a court of law are high. Let your
lawyer know this information upfront so that they’re not caught by
surprise in court.
Domestic Violence
Your attorney should be made aware of any domestic violence history.
When there have been domestic violence charges, the absent parent will
often be required to have supervised visitation until the judge orders
it otherwise. The sooner this can be worked out, the sooner you can
petition the court to gain custody of your children.
Investigations Of Other
Issues
It’s not uncommon for parents to become the target of a government
agency investigation:
• Neglect
• Abuse
• Truancy
Your attorney needs to know if you’ve been involved in one of these
investigations. When you do this, he/she can talk with the agency for
you and come up with a plan based on the data they get from their
conversations.
Delinquent Child Support
Despite the fact that child custody and child support are two different
issues, delinquent child support can be a hindrance in gaining custody
of the children. Be sure you talk with your attorney on how best to
catch up with the arrears so that being delinquent isn’t an issue when
it’s time for the matter to go to court.
Whenever a child is involved with a divorce matter, you should always
have an attorney by your side, arguing your case. Always be honest with
them about the happenings in your life so that when your case is heard
before a judge, they are not taking by surprise. They’ll also be able
to come up with a strategy that will help you win your case or have the
best possible outcome for it.