Child Custody Battles: What Every Woman Should Know

Facing divorce and a potential custody battle is, undoubtedly, one of the most emotionally and financially draining event in one’s life. For many divorcing couples, arguments over not only the visitation and financial support of dependent children, but also the essential custody of those children, can lead to, or create, even more animosity within the divorcing process. As a mother experiencing a child custody battle, preparing for the legal battle, through financial and stability measures at home, will provide for the best opportunity to prevail in a child custody case.

When facing child custody, most courts look at the very essential elements of the child welfare including neglect, abandonment or abuse. When struggling with a child custody battle, a woman should pay particular attention to the emotional welfare of the children involved. For this reason, seeking out emotional support groups and child psychological counseling, will show to a court that the mother has a genuine interest in the emotional welfare of the children involves in the child custody battle.

In addition to emotional counseling, a mother facing a child custody battle should work to ensure her own personal actions are that of respectable nature. Avoiding nightlife and dating, during a child custody battle, will ensure complicating factors, such as those associated with promiscuous behavior, are not drawn into the litigation. For many women, moving on with a personal life can be challenging and yet, at the same time, some require the emotional support of another individual during this highly stressful period. The key to ensure less complication is to avoid establishing new intimate and personal relationship, especially those involving direct contact with the children involved.

Another legal issue, when facing a child custody battle, involves the financial stability of the mother. When facing child custody litigation, therefore, a woman should ensure she has obtained stable employment with an income which is sufficient to support her children, even if that support includes the anticipated child support income. For some women, this financial responsibility may require demonstration of support from close family members in an effort to sway the court into the direction of awarding custody to the mother.

And finally, domicile. As a key factor in many litigated divorce cases, in which child custody is an issue, it is not uncommon for a Judge to request an examination of the home of each parent, in the form of a social study, in an effort to obtain unbiased information with regard to the physical living arrangements available to children. For this reason, when facing a child custody battle, a woman should ensure each of her children is provided with his or her own bed and is supplied with proper clothing. While children can share bedrooms, it is not recommended that they share beds nor clothing as this is not a favorable point of consideration in a child custody battle. Also, ensure the home is safe and properly secured. Locks on doors should be in proper working order, the home should be clean and free of debris and even in homes with pools, ensure the pool is well protected from any safety issues. All of these matters may seem frivolous. However, when in a child custody battle, they can become issues of contention when the home study reports are released to both the Judge and opposing counsel.

As with any point of contention within a divorce proceeding, the most optimal outcomes, generally, are the result of communication between the divorcing couple. When mediation and communication are no longer successful, and child custody becomes a decision of the courts, following these simple steps may ensure the best opportunity for obtaining, or retaining, custody of your children.