Tips for Parents in a Child Custody Battle
A custody battle over your children is one of the most important and emotionally complex experiences you’ll ever go through.
An experienced child custody lawyer in Columbus can help guide you through the process, but it’s still important for you to have a good understanding of what you can expect from the experience.
Custody battles are intensely emotional periods that take a toll on everyone involved, but it is important to keep your cool as much as possible and stay focused on what’s truly important. Here are some important tips from Lewis Legal on how to do just that.
Put Your Child’s Well-Being First
Most parents don’t have to be told this in general, but during the emotional stress of a custody battle, with your Columbus child custody attorney at your side, it’s very easy to focus your efforts on “winning” against your ex instead of creating the best possible outcome for your child.
Of course, you may believe that the best thing for your child is to win against your ex, but you should make sure that your children are at the core of your argument. A good child custody lawyer in Columbus will help you create a case for why it is in your child’s best interest for you to win the custody battle, but it’s important that you build that case without putting the child themselves in the middle.
No matter what happens, and no matter where your child resides during the custody process, make sure you are actively engaged in the parental process in whatever way you can. The judge will want to see evidence that you are taking your responsibilities as a parent seriously regardless of the situation.
Don’t Put Your Child in the Middle
In many custody battles, it can be tempting to put the child themselves on the front lines of the conflict – asking them to make statements for or against one parent over another seems like it would help.
However, most child custody lawyers in Columbus will advise you against actions like this. Family court judges generally want to see that you and your child’s other parent are trying to work together towards a solution, because resolving differences during a divorce or heated custody battle is generally best for the children involved so they can adjust to a new normal.
Attempts to put your child front and center in a custody dispute are likely to put you in a negative light with the judge, who may start to see you as more interested in scoring points against your ex than putting your child’s interests first. This is why your child custody lawyer in Columbus will likely discourage it.
Be Very Cautious About Social Media
In general, it’s a good idea to be extremely cautious and deliberate about your social media use. But that becomes much more important during a custody battle where your every post could become evidence.
A good child custody lawyer in Columbus will caution you against discussing the case on social media or complaining about your ex, as either could be used against you as evidence of instability for the child or parental alienation.
It’s best to just refrain from posting on social media altogether during the process, but if you must, make sure the image you’re putting out there is generally one of stability and positivity, because if it isn’t, the other side’s child custody lawyer will absolutely find it and use it against you.
Make Sure You Have a Skilled Child Custody Lawyer in Columbus
There are general guidelines for how to handle a child custody case, and most of them boil down to taking care of your child first and foremost, and trying not to let it get too ugly – or at least shielding the child from the ugliness as much as possible.
However, any child custody lawyer in Columbus knows that each custody battle is different. Both parties will have different backgrounds, different circumstances, and different goals every time.
Our job is to help guide you to the most favorable outcome for both you and your child. So contact Lewis Legal today and start talking to a child custody attorney in Columbus that can put you on the right path for that best outcome.