Worried About Losing Custody of Your Kids Through a Divorce? Make Sure You Do These Things Now
Divorce can be a messy situation no matter how you look at it, but when you bring in the fact that you have children with the person whom you have shared your life, things can get really intense. If you and your significant other are on the road to divorce, and you are concerned that they may have intentions to take primary custody of your children, this can definitely be a stressful situation. You should know that there are a few things you can do right now before the legal process gets started that may sway the odds in your favor where custody is concerned.
Take the initiative to be involved with your children's medical care.
It is not uncommon for one parent or the other to be the primary person who handles pediatric doctor's visits and dental checkups. Because of this, it is easy for the uninvolved parent to grow further out of the loop over time. Before the divorce, make sure you make an effort to be involved in your children's medical care. Whether this is being the parent who calls in at work to take care of a sick child or scheduling doctor's visits, all of this will help the judge see you are a capable parent where medical care is concerned.
Make sure your children's teachers are familiar with you as a parent.
Go to PTA meetings, make your presence known at school during functions, and take interest in your children's extracurricular activities. Making sure the personnel at the school know who you are will make them see you are actively involved in a child's life. Through a divorce proceeding where custody is in question, these professionals could potentially be asked about your involvement by the judge or your spouse's representing attorney.
Work to maintain a healthy relationship with your children.
Divorce is difficult for parents, but it is especially difficult for the children involved. While it is easy to lose track of maintaining healthy relationships with your children when you have a hard time getting along with your spouse, this is an all-out must if you are concerned about custody after the divorce. In most cases, the judge will not ask the children who they would prefer to be with, but their input with the other parent could be enough to make the other parent more willing to work with you to create a fair custody agreement.
Talk to a law firm such as Hougen Family Law for more information.