Every divorcing couple will likely go through a child custody battle, which can be stressful and challenging for the children involved. When fighting over child custody is inevitable, avoiding mistakes that could harm children is essential. For example, when two parents are trying to decide who gets primary physical custody of their children, they may struggle with what, in theory, should be a simple decision but becomes very complicated in practice.
There are many factors involved: which parent is better for the children; who has more time and resources; whether one parent would encourage independence from the other; whether or not one parent would let the other parent continue with their current lifestyle for fear of changing too much or disrupting things too badly for them.
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Not Communicating With Your Ex:
Communication is the key to any relationship, especially when dealing with a custody dispute. Suppose you can’t even talk to your ex person-to-person or have a neutral third party (such as a parenting coordinator or mediator) in charge of communicating for both of you. In that case, you may need help to develop an agreement that’s fair for both of you. To get professional advice, you should hire an expert like Jimeno & Gray, P.A. If there is no communication, there will be no cooperation. On the other hand, if all communication goes through an attorney, the children are likely to get what they need from both parents.
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Not Following Court Orders:
Just because you’ve agreed with your spouse doesn’t mean your children can follow it right out of the courtroom. For example, when you and your ex-spouse agree to certain custody decisions, certain things are not allowed to change, even if one parent wants them changed. Many of these rules and guidelines depend on the age and needs of the child or children involved, while others are based on safety concerns or whether there is a history of altercations with one or both parents. If a parent flouts those orders, this could become a severe problem for their case, especially if they were the primary caretaker parent throughout the marriage.
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Failing to Pay Child Support:
You may not receive child maintenance payments from your ex-spouse, but you are still responsible. The court can garnish your wages and take away your tax refund to ensure you pay what you owe. Not only is failing to pay child support a crime, but it’s also a way of showing that you have no intention of cooperating with the other parent in raising the children. In addition, if you don’t send money to your ex-spouse, they will have less money for things like food, clothing, and other essentials for the children.
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Not Remaining Civil:
Just because you’re fighting over custody doesn’t mean you can’t be civil. You may have to try, even if it means going out of your way to be nice to your spouse or the other parent. The children will pick up on any tension between the two of you, and if they see that their parents are not getting along, they are more likely to act out at that point.
Children need a stable home life, which sometimes means that both parents have to compromise on how much time they spend with their kids. Generally, whoever has been the primary caretaker during the marriage will get their preference regarding custody arrangements after divorce.
