5 Child Custody Mistakes You Don't Want To Make

A child custody battle is one of the most difficult aspects of a divorce. If you are preparing for child custody hearings, you likely feel stressed out and nervous. However, letting this stressful time affect your behavior can have negative results. Here are five child custody mistakes you do not want to make:

Making Parenting Decisions On Your Own

There may be a lot of tension between you and your spouse, but it is still important to make parenting decisions together. For example, you do not want to enroll your child in a different school without the other parent's consent. If the judge finds out that you made parenting decisions behind your ex-spouse's back, it will put you in a negative light.

Talking Poorly About Your Ex-Spouse In Front of Your Child

Even if you are very angry with your ex-spouse, you should avoid badmouthing the person in front of your child. Doing this can make your child very uncomfortable and even cause emotional damage. If you are upset one day and feel like you will say something bad about your ex-spouse, go into another room until you calm down.

Moving in With a Significant Other

Your marriage may be over, but that does not mean it is a good idea to move in with a new romantic partner. If you get too serious too quick with another person, the judge may think you are not providing enough stability for your child. Try to avoid getting too involved with a romantic partner until the divorce and child custody battle are finalized.

Not Being Involved in Parenting Activities

A full-time job and court dates might not leave you with a lot of time, but you should still make an effort to be involved in your child's life. Go to his soccer matches, help him with homework and read to him before bed. Spending a lot of time with your child will show the courts that you are serious about being a parent.

Not Controlling Your Emotions

Controlling your emotions is crucial during a child custody battle. If you, for example, call your ex-spouse derogatory names in court, the judge will frown upon that.

To achieve the best possible outcome with your child custody case, it is very important to avoid making these common mistakes. If you are ever not sure about something with your case, you should talk to a custody lawyer.

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