Common Mistakes That Can Affect Child Custody
When you are going through a child custody battle, it can be difficult to keep your emotions under control. However, if you fail to do this, you can jeopardize your entire case and lose your potential custody or visitation rights.
Therefore, in order to ensure that you do not make any wrong decisions or put your feelings and emotions first, you need to know and be aware of the various mistakes that can severely impact your child custody case. Here are eight common mistakes that can affect child custody.
Posting on social media
Many people use social media almost daily. This is a great way to update and inform your family and friends across the country about what is going on in your life. However, posting on social media can be a huge mistake during a legal custody case. The reason for this is because some parents become angry or frustrated at their child’s other parent and decide to vent about their current issues on social media. While you may think that this will not cause any harm, this information can be found by your ex-spouse’s legal team and used against you.
In addition, if you post photos of you at a bar or check into a club, this can be twisted and turned to show that you have an addiction problem, and your children should not be around you. You must always be mindful when posting on social media during this time. As a matter of fact, it is usually recommended that you completely stay off social media while going through a child custody battle.
Talking badly about your co-parent in front of your child
You are allowed to be angry or hurt about something your child’s other parent did or said to you in the past, but you should never talk badly about them in front of your child. This can cause your child to feel guilty about enjoying spending time with their other parent, which can force them to choose a side. If you cannot avoid making any negative comments in front of your child, it will likely come to light in your legal case because your child may tell their other parent what you said. As a result, the judge will take this into consideration and most likely look unfavorably of you.
Failing to or refusing to work with your co-parent
Even if you strongly despise your ex-partner, you must still work with them in some way. This means that you will need to communicate, compromise, and meet them somewhere in the middle when it comes to your children. If you fail or refuse to do this, the judge will see you as someone who is not willing to cooperate, which could affect your case.
Refusing to follow a court order
A judge may order you and your child’s other parent to follow a temporary court order. If you do not follow this court order, you may be looked at as someone who cannot follow directions as well as someone who is disrespectful. This can actually cause legal issues for you, which could negatively impact your case. Therefore, even though the agreement may be temporary, you must follow it at all times.
Not giving your co-parent their visitation time
It can take months for a child custody case to conclude. Therefore, during this time, the judge may order some type of visitation to the other parent until a final decision is made. While you may not want your child to go to their other parent’s home, you cannot withhold them or refuse to let them go. If you do this, it will be considered disobeying a court order, which will negatively affect your potential to get custody. The only time that you can withhold your child from their other parent is if an emergency situation arises or if you suspect some type of abuse is going on and can prove it.
Lying to the judge or your attorney
Lying to the judge or your attorney is a very bad idea. This is because they will find out the truth no matter what you tell them. Therefore, if you are caught lying, you will be seen as someone who is dishonest, which means that your testimony or statements will not be considered credible. As a result, you could have a very hard time getting the judge to listen to you, take you seriously, or even believe you about anything.
Spending too much time at work
Many people do not know that spending a lot of time at work can actually put their child custody case at risk. You may be simply working overtime because you need money to feed, provide clothing, and put a roof over your children’s heads. However, if the other parent points out the fact that you spend too much time at work and has information or documents to back this statement up, this may be used to suggest that you do not have time to be a parent to your children. It is crucial that you speak with your boss and come up with a plan to ensure that you have appropriate time with your children as soon as possible.
Failing to prioritize your child’s best interests
Lastly, you have most likely heard that your child’s best interests should always come first. However, regardless of how many times parents hear this, they still get sidetracked with their own activities, problems, or life events and fail to prioritize their children’s best interests. While it can be extremely difficult going through a divorce and battling with your ex over who gets the children, you must remember to always take a few minutes every so often to think about what your children actually need from you as a parent. After you determine this, you should make sure you continue to meet their needs and best interests.
If you need legal advice about your child custody case, the San Antonio family law attorneys at Grable Grimshaw, PLLC are ready and available to assist you. Our team knows and understands that child custody cases can be extremely frustrating, stressful, and overwhelming, which is why we will gladly help you navigate the entire legal process. All you have to do is call our office or complete our contact form to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation, and we will get started on your case right away.