It sometimes happens that one spouse in a divorce makes allegations against the other spouse related to their conduct toward the children. It also happens that one spouse uses custody as a means of hurting the other parent. In these cases, you want to be very careful about how you proceed. The court will likely render any final decisions related to custody and visitation, so you don’t want to give them fodder that bolsters your former spouse’s allegations. In this article, the Tampa, FL child custody lawyers at Westchase Law, P.A. will discuss how to proceed during a custody battle.
Be respectful in court
Child custody hearings tend to be high-conflict affairs and it’s all too easy to become emotional in court. You want to curb that as much as possible. You may appear disrespectful to the judge who is presiding over your case. This is particularly true if you speak out of turn or become angry. Family court judges want to see that you are capable of co-parenting with your spouse after the divorce is finalized. There are remedies for high-conflict divorces and visitation agreements such as parallel parenting. So, it does not have to be an all-or-nothing battle.
Avoid run-ins with the law
Divorce can be a highly emotional affair and there is a grieving process involved with the loss of a relationship. In many cases, one spouse might start drinking as a way to numb the pain or otherwise abuse substances. In these cases, you want to avoid DUIs. In fact, you should be on your best behavior throughout the divorce process and avoid substances altogether. You don’t want your former spouse to use a DUI or substance abuse as fodder for their allegations. They certainly will if they can.
Be careful on social media
In many cases, divorce attorneys will tell you to shut down your social media accounts while you are in divorce litigation. This is good advice. Your former spouse can use evidence gleaned from social media to insinuate you are not a good role model for your children. In many cases, litigants in a child custody case will post something on social media that the courts can hold against them. Even if you shut down your social media accounts, you will want to ensure that your friends don’t post pictures of you at bars or parties.
Don’t ignore temporary custody orders
At the beginning of your divorce, the judge will issue a temporary custody order that may form the foundation of a permanent order. In these cases, you want to comply with the temporary custody order. If a judge sees that you are not complying with the custody order, they will figure that you won’t comply with the permanent order either and this can be held against you.
Talk to a Tampa, FL Child Custody Lawyer Today
Westchase Law, P.A. represents the rights of parents in child custody disputes. Call our office today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin advising you right away.