Although custody is more likely to be given to the mother, many factors will be taken into consideration before the court decides. In fact, you can significantly affect your outcome by displaying great behavior, providing documentation and evidence, and hiring an experienced Houston, TX family lawyer. Your child custody attorney can help you prepare optimally and avoid any mistakes that could negatively affect your outcome.
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Determine What Custody You Want
Before you can start preparing for your divorce, you need to figure out what kind of custody agreement you’d like. Nowadays, most parents share custody, which means that your children will see and live with both you and your former spouse on a regular basis. This can be a great solution since it allows your children to stay in touch and form a strong bond with their parents.
However, if you believe that your spouse is not a fit parent, you can also file for sole custody. This allows you to take control of your children’s upbringing, and they will live at your house full-time. In either case, you might also have to figure out a child support agreement. While some parents have an informal agreement, more than 87% of contracts are established in court.
Maintain Great Courtroom Demeanor
The way you look and act in court can have a big impact on the final outcome. You should always present yourself as calm, collected, and responsible, so the judge can see that you would be a good parent. Even if the situation seems unfair or you are stressed, it’s important that you keep your cool. An emotional outbreak could negatively affect the outcome of the trial.
Your family lawyer will go through the courtroom process with you, so you know what to expect. They can let you know what you should say and how you should act. Follow their advice closely to avoid any problems.
Avoid Insulting or Demeaning Your Spouse
No matter who caused your divorce, you should always remain respectful to your former spouse. This can be exceptionally hard if they betrayed you or caused you harm, but it is essential to building your case. As soon as the judge notices you behaving negatively towards the other party, for instance by verbally abusing them, your chances of gaining child custody drop significantly.
This is especially true if the children are present. It’s of crucial importance that you never say negative things about your ex-partner in front of your children, since this could cause them trauma and psychological issues. The judge is aware of the negative effects of such behavior, and they might not grant you custody if you act in this way.
Provide All Relevant Documentation
To gain sole custody, you will need to demonstrate that you are the more suitable parent. Although this can be harder for the father to prove, both parents are eligible to be the sole guardians of their children.
There are many ways of proving that you will look after your children well, and your Houston divorce and child custody lawyers will know how to find evidence that your children need to live with you. They might argue that you have built up a much stronger bond with them, have been more present in the past, or can provide for them better due to your superior financial situation.
Provide Enough Evidence
Simply stating that you are the more suitable parent isn’t good enough, and you will need to provide concrete evidence of this. If your former spouse is abusive or has a problem with drug or alcohol addiction, your lawyer might ask you to provide any video or photographic proof you can. You could also call on witnesses who have seen such behavior and can tell the judge that your ex-partner has acted irresponsibly in the past.
Hire a Great Family Lawyer
Child custody battles are tough on anyone, and you’re unlikely to win your case unless you have an experienced professional at your side. Hiring a great lawyer is the key to success, especially if you and your former spouse are both fighting for full custody. Your attorney can help you navigate the family law in Texas and find a way to get the best outcome for everyone.
To get started, you should research local lawyers online and find out which ones have experience with cases like yours. Once you’ve found a firm that seems like a good fit, you can request an initial consultation and meet the lawyers. During this conversation, you’ll be able to determine whether you would be happy to work with them for the duration of your case.
Whether you’re looking for full or partial custody, you can significantly affect the outcome of your hearing by maintaining a great courtroom demeanor and remaining respectful towards the other party at all times. Your Houston, TX child custody attorney will lay out your case in a favorable way and help you gather the documentation and evidence you need to fight for your rights.
