What Factors Affect The Outcome Of A Child Custody Case?
by Becky Freeman
Are you heading into a major child custody case in your divorce? If you are, you might be worried that you will not end up with custody of your children even though you really want to. In cases where spouses fight over the kids, the court generally ends up making the decision for them and understanding the factors courts use to determine the verdict can be helpful for you as you work through this battle. Here are some of the factors that affect the outcome of child custody cases.
What the Kids Want
When kids reach a certain age, their opinions matter to the courts. The age varies for this, but if your kids are older, such as in their teenage years, you should expect their opinions to matter greatly to the court. The judge will talk to your kids, if they are old enough, to ask them where they want to live and why. While it is not strictly up to the kids to choose, the judge considers their opinions seriously.
Each Parent's Presence in the Child's Life
The presence of each parent in the child's life also matters a lot. If you have always been involved in every aspect of your child's life, this will be a good factor for you. If you were not involved, though, but are now starting to be, it could harm your case due to your lack of presence in the past. In other words, the current state of your relationship is not the only thing that matters. Your entire life as a parent is what matters.
The State of Each Parent Physically and Emotionally
Judges also factor in each parent's physical and emotional state. If you have a history of being on anti-depressants and being in and out of psychiatric hospitals, it might not be very good for your case. The judge will want to make sure the kids are in a place with a parent who is there emotionally and physically for them.
The Living Conditions
Living conditions matter too. If you have no place to live, how would you raise your kids? A judge will want to see that the custodial parent has a safe place to live with the children, as this is vital for a child's wellbeing.
These are probably four of the most important factors that courts consider when making decisions. The best thing you can do is make sure that you are the best parent possible, as this could help your case. You will also need to hire a family law attorney who has experience with child custody cases.
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About Me
Hello and welcome, I'm Winfred Paulo. I have a passion for civil court cases of all kinds. Some time back, I ended up in the thick of a civil case after a lengthy dispute with my neighbor. The dispute went on for years and ended badly with an incident that landed us both in court. We had to prove our side of the case in an effort to obtain a positive outcome and recoup our losses. Unfortunately, I lost the case due to a lack of evidence. Since then, I've maintain a strong interest in civil cases and their proceedings. I will share information about civil cases on this site to help others understand these proceedings better. I may talk about legal terms, and expected outcomes for each case type. I hope you visit often to learn more. Thanks for stopping by my website.