If you are involved in a custody dispute, you may want to know what you can do to increase your chances of being awarded custody of your children. Courts decide custody disputes by deciding which outcome they feel would serve the best interest of the children who are involved in the custody dispute. While there is a fairly long list of factors that go into a best interest determination, the following few topics are of particular importance because they are things that you can work to improve if you see that any of them are problem areas for you.
Drugs, alcohol, and domestic violence are serious issues which must be addressed immediately in order to create a safe and appropriate environment for children. If any or all of these issues are a part of your past, you have addressed them responsibly, and can demonstrate that they are currently not a problem, then they will likely be deemed irrelevant to your case.
Involvement in the daily care of your children is another important consideration in custody decisions. Even if you are a working parent, you can be very involved in your children’s lives with things like morning and evening routines, meal times, play time, and attending sporting events and school activities.
Your behavior is a major consideration in custody decisions. Courts recognize that children want and need to have relationships with both parents, and they definitely take notice when one parent tries to undermine the children’s relationship with the other parent. Also, parents who interfere with their children’s visitation and contact with their other parent are likely to be admonished by the court. In contrast, parents who are supportive of their children’s relationships with their other parent are viewed by courts as being able to put aside their personal feelings and do what is best for their children.
Your demeanor can also get you noticed in either a positive or a negative way. If you experience anger and you express it through angry outbursts, threatening voice messages, and nasty emails or texts, the court may become concerned about your ability to manage your emotions. If you have taken steps to deal with your feelings and you can experience anger while remaining calm and able to exercise self-control in choosing how to think and act, this will work in your favor.
Custody disputes are important legal proceedings, and an experienced New Jersey family law attorney can help you to present your best case, so please call the office to speak to a Hackensack Divorce Attorney today at (201) 690-1642 to arrange a free consultation.
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