Tips For Winning Child Custody, Part 1

Being caught up in divorce proceedings can be an very stressful experience for a couple, even when the divorce is amicable, and not filled with bitterness. When you have an amicable divorce, the issues of child custody can usually be managed by mutual agreement, without a lot of difficulty or disagreement. When a divorce is bitter and filled with spite, however, the issue of who gets custody of the children can become a major battleground. If you find yourself involved in this kind of situation, there are some things that you can do to help make it more certain that you will be able to win out in your struggle to be given custody of your children.

* Make certain that you don't expose your children to environments that are unhealthy, or that could prove harmful. If you are a smoker, by all means stop! If stopping is totally impossible (that is, if cigarettes are more important to you than your children), then at the very least, you must never smoke when they are around. Not only is it extremely bad for their health, but it can provide a very powerful weapon for your former spouse during the hearings.

* If you are already involved in a new romantic partner, be very careful when it comes to making an open display of affection with your new lover. This is very important, for at least two reasons: first, it can be quite upsetting to your children when they witness this, because they still may have intense feelings of loyalty to your former spouse. Second, the court will typically frown on it if children are being exposed to an highly sexual or erotic environment. You most also be certain that you are spending enough time with your children, and that you are not ignoring them to spend time with your new partner.

* Give a lot of thought to where your children would prefer to live. Try to find out what their preference is, even though it might turn out that they do not want to live with you. If your children have a strong desire to remain with your ex, if you insist that you be granted custody of them it can be not only self defeating, but it can be damaging to your relationship with them in the future. The only time this warning would not apply would be in a situation where you have honest, well-founded concerns for the safety of your children in the event they were to remain with your ex - and even if that is the case, you must recognize that there may be resistance from the children if you win custody, and they prefer to live with your former spouse instead.

* Be fully involved, as much as possible, in the lives of your children during the entire duration of the custody process. Doing this will cast you in the most favorable light in the eyes of the Court. If you seem to have abandoned your children to the care of your former spouse, you will most likely lose your custody battle.

* Make every effort to hire a very experienced attorney, who can truly assist you with your custody proceedings. if you have an attorney who keeps your best interests his or her top priority, they will be your greatest ally in your pursuit of the custody of your children. Unfortunately, it is sometimes true that finding that kind of attorney is often very almost impossible.

Even if you have a competent lawyer, you will still benefit greatly if you have a second source of help available to you. This should be a resource that can provide up-to-date and necessary information and advice to help you. As long as you have that, then if your attorney does turn out to be more interested in billing hours than doing actual work, you will have another source of guidance. Another reason to have an second resource is that often attorneys are simply not able to keep abreast of all the latest psychological and legal strategies regarding custody, as well as which kinds of evidence, and types of allegations, will succeed(or are bound to fail ) in the courtroom.

To get access to this kind of vital support information, you need to obtain a Custody Guide that has been written by experts in the field of child custody who have well-deserved reputations for their knowledge of the field. You need to get your information from experts who specialize in child custody and have the in-depth experience and knowledge that enables them to compile the important information, and to keep it current. It is also important that the information be presented in a way that makes it possible for an untrained person to comprehend it, and use it. There are probably many sources for this type of guide that can help you find your way through the confusing legal maze that is Child Custody. The links in the resource box will provide further information on some of the best that you will find.