3 Things That People Do To Harm Their Chances Of Getting Custody Of Their Children

Posted on: 7 August 2015

Divorce is a stressful time for anyone. It can be especially difficult if you have children and there is a custody battle. Unfortunately, some parents do things that lessen their chances of obtaining custody of their children. Here are a couple things you should avoid doing when fighting a custody battle.    

1. Abandonment

It is very important that you don't show any kind of abandonment. For example, if you are your spouse were fighting and you decided to leave for a good amount of time, this could be seen as abandonment; especially if you knew that the situation was dangerous for the children. When you leave you send a message that you don't think that the primary care of your children is your responsibility. Instead, you inadvertently pass that onto your spouse.

For this reason, you should stay with the child until the divorce is final. This doesn't mean that you have to live in the same house with your spouse, but you should be a part of your child's life every day so that they show that you are an integral part of your child's daily life.

2. Unfit Housing

If you are fighting for your children, you need to show that you can care for a child in your current circumstances. If you rented an apartment in the city that was a bachelor pad you could risk the chances of getting your children. You need to have adequate room for your children to stay, you need to create an environment that is safe and healthy for children, and you need to have stable housing. Moving around a lot is not good for your case.

If you do not currently have housing that could work for both you and your children, you need to find something more suitable to show the judge that you can care for them.

3. A Criminal Record

Character is a big part of proving that you are a fit parent. Even something as simple as a DUI or a drug charge could prove that you are not responsible enough to care for children. This means that even though you may be feeling down, and want to party or do something crazy, don't! It could be the decider between getting custody of your children and only getting visitation rights.

These are just a couple things that parents do that harm their chances to get custody of their children. For further information or assistance, contact a local child custody attorney.

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