What Dad’s Need to Know Before Entering Into A Custody Battle

Huffington Post published an article titled, “Custody Battles: The Top Five Things Dads Should Know Before Setting Foot in Court,” which discusses what happens when an actively involved dad is faced with a contentious custody battle.

The article provided the top 5 things a Dad should know before setting foot into a Court room:

1. Push for more visitation in the beginning of the case. The article notes, “If you want equal time (or any decent amount of time), you need to push for more from the very beginning of the case. Devise a strategy to demonstrate to the court that you understand your child’s routines, needs and care. Show why the schedule you are proposing is workable, realistic and in the “best interests of the child.”
2. Find an attorney who understands your needs. The article explains that because we are dealing with a society that has typically favored mothers in custody battles that it is important that you retain an attorney that understands why you are asking for more access to your children and is on the same page as you with what you are trying to achieve.
3. Do not bring child support issues up in custody conversations. The article notes, “Many people — even some lawyers — will assume you want more time with your kids because you want to pay less child support, even when faced with facts that you are the more nurturing parent. While some states tie access time to support (like New Jersey), many do not: in New York, for example, even if parents settle on a 50-50 time share with the children, the law states that the parent who earns more will still pay child support. No matter where you live, try to keep these issues separate.”
4. Figure out your schedule. This is a very important step is deciding a custody battle make sure you have laid out your schedule and know exactly what time is best for you and the children’s visitation.
5. Maintain a good relationship with your children’s mother. After the litigation is said and done, you will be left to co-parent your children and it would make things much easier if the two of you maintained a good relationship with open communication.