If you refuse to cooperate with the other parent, follow the temporary court order, bad-mouth your ex-partner, or have emotional blow-ups, it will likely backfire.
Child custody battles are usually short-lived and require a lot of effort, and there’s a lot at stake. Going through a divorce and custody battle can drain you, but you still don’t want to make stupid mistakes during this period, as it will have consequences. To help you avoid this situation, we’re here to remind you of the five ways you can mess up your custody case.
Not Being Involved in Your Child’s Life
If you’re absent in your child’s life most of the time, how are you expecting to win custody? When one parent has done their job of being involved with their child before the divorce, that same parent is at an advantage.
So, suppose the judge sees that one parent is missing the picture of parental involvement, such as attending the child’s school and sports events, parent-teacher conferences, helping with homework, and so on. In that case, the judge will know which parent has put their child first.
Similarly, when the absent parent suddenly demands equal time, the court will immediately assume that they’re trying to manipulate child support. However, it’s also true that some parents see their mistakes during the court process and want to improve themselves. In that case, you’d need to get help from experienced family lawyers because they’re experts in this field, especially when dealing with such situations.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is one of the worst ways you can screw up your custody battle. Although many families deal with drug and alcohol issues, the child’s safety becomes more questionable when parents divorce.
So, if you’re dealing with an ex-partner with substance issues, you can get help from professional attorneys depending on where you live.
For example, if you’re from Texas, you can contact Fort Worth Custody Lawyers, who will present your case rightfully to the judge. Moreover, this will help show the judge that you’re doing this for the sake of your children and yourself.
Expose Yourself on Social Media
If you tend to put everything on social media, text messages, voice mails, videos, and so on, the other party can use this against you. This will make you look less qualified for child custody, especially if you send angry or threatening messages to your ex-spouse.
Don’t forget that this applies to any form of communication. You can delete all inappropriate content from your social media and try never to comment on your ex or custody case on social media. However, if your former partner has done something similar, you can file a lawsuit against them and contact your nearest custody attorney.
Refusing to Co-Parent
If there’s one thing that frustrates the judges during a custody battle is when one parent refuses to be civil and co-parent. In that case, the judge will likely grant custody to the other parent if they’ve behaved better during the process.
Similarly, if you refuse to cooperate with the other parent, follow the temporary court order, bad-mouth your ex-partner, or have emotional blow-ups, it will likely backfire.
However, under certain circumstances, there are ways couples can avoid this situation. Most of them deal with such actions before the custody battle and during a divorce. If you’re in the same position, you can always seek help from Fort Worth Divorce Lawyers, who will search for ways to help you become a vulnerable parent and portray you as a better parent.
Join the conversation!