For parents, nothing is more important than their children, which is why child custody disputes are some of the most heavily contested family law issues. Given the delicate nature of this matter, emotions often run high, increasing the potential for costly mistakes. One of the first steps you should take to protect your rights as a parent is to hire an attorney who is experienced in handling such cases. It is also imperative to understand the errors that are commonly made under these circumstances and how you can best avoid them.
Protect Your Rights as a Parent by Avoiding These Mistakes
Some mistakes are unavoidable, but there are plenty of others that can and should be prevented.
Below is a list of some of the most common child custody mistakes, which you should avoid:
- Inappropriate behavior: Your behavior is an important element in a child custody dispute, so you must be in control of your emotions and avoid losing your cool. Understandably, this is a difficult time for you and you could easily reach your boiling point and blow up on your spouse out of frustration and anger. However, you cannot let your emotions get the best of you at this time. Do not get into any physical confrontations with your spouse and absolutely never make any threats. Otherwise, you might end up having to settle for supervised visits with your children.
- Taking the kids away without your receiving consent from your spouse: If you take the kids away and your spouse is unaware of your intentions and has not provided consent, he or she might be concerned about whether you plan on bringing them back or not. As a result, you could possibly face kidnapping charges and be arrested, which will severely damage your child custody case.
- Failing to pay child support: You might not agree with the court’s child support order, but simply not paying it is not an option. You can always file a motion to have the child support order modified, especially if you are encountering serious financial problems, such as the loss of your job or a demotion.
- Not spending time with your children: If you are vying for child custody, not spending as much time with them as you can is a pretty poor way of proving your genuine interest in wanting to be part of their lives, so make sure you never flake on scheduled visitation with your kids. A judge will think you are a neglectful parent.
- Being a bad parent: This statement is rather broad, but the idea here is to use common sense. Do not use corporal punishment to discipline your children or put them in obviously unsafe situations. Find out as much as you can about the individuals in your children’s lives who have a significant presence.
Child custody cases are inherently challenging, but with a level head, calm demeanor, and skilled legal representation, you can navigate its difficulties.
Hire an Experienced Child Custody Attorney Today!
At Kallen Law Firm, LLC, our team of child custody attorneys have the compassion and knowledge that is necessary to adeptly handle such sensitive cases. You should not attempt to go through this on your own!
Call our law office at (314) 441-7793 for a free case review.
