Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Child Custody Battle

Experienced Lawyer

If you’re in the middle of a child custody battle right now, it’s especially important to be mindful of your actions. What you do and say can play a big part in the judge’s ultimate decision. Family lawyers share some of the most common mistakes people make during child custody battles.

Talking Poorly About the Other Parent in Front of Your Kids

No matter how angry you may be with your ex, you should resist the urge to talk badly about him or her in front of your kids. They’re already likely stressed out and hearing one parent talk poorly about the other parent will just make them more uncomfortable. If the judge finds out that you have been badmouthing the other parent in front of your kids, he or she might not think you have their best interests in mind and consider that in their custody ruling.

Not Letting the Other Parent See Your Kids

If you try to prevent the other parent from seeing your kids without a court order, the judge won’t look at that very fondly. Unless there is a very good reason for doing so, you should never prevent the other parents from visiting your kids. If you, however, believe that your kids will be in a dangerous environment, you should let the court know as soon as possible.

Taking Your Kids on a Trip Without the other Parent’s Permission

Taking your kids out of town for a fun trip seems pretty harmless, right? However, if you’re in the middle of a custody battle, you better get the other parent’s permission first before taking them on a trip. Even if you didn’t mean any harm, the judge may believe that you tried to kidnapping your children if you didn’t let the other parent know.

Not Being Careful About What You Post on Social Media

What you post on Facebook and other social media sites can have a big impact on your child custody case. Anything you post on these sites can come up in court. For example, if you post a photo of you intoxicated at a bar, the judge may think that you’re a bad influence on your kids and use that against you in the ruling. Therefore, don’t post anything on your social media accounts that you wouldn’t want the court to see.

Disobeying Court Orders

It’s important to follow all court orders the judge sets. For example, if the judge orders you to take a parenting class, you should obey it. If the judge sees that you’re disobeying court orders, he or she will feel disrespected and may use that against you in the final ruling.