Here are some tips for Texas men preparing for a child custody battle.
First, speak with a mens divorce attorney in your area for specific legal advice on divorce because each state will have its own guidelines on what is considered in determining visitation and child custody.
Second, many courts now have a presumption of joint legal custody and a shared placement schedule. though the definition of “shared” varies by jurisdiction from an every other weekend schedule to a 50/50 schedule.
Third, courts are typically guided by statute in determining the custody and visitation arrangements. Here are some factors considered to determine what is in the best interest of a child in contested custody & visitation cases:
a) the wishes of the parents;
b) the wishes of the child either communicated by the child or through a guardian ad litem;
c) the relationship the child has with each parent and siblings;
d) the amount and quality of time that each parent has spent with the child in the past;
e) reasonable life-style changes proposed by a parent to be able to spend time with the child in the future;
f) the age and needs of the child;
g) the child’s adjustment;
h) mental or physical health of the parties or child;
i) availability of child care services;
j) the cooperation and communication between the parties;
k) the need for regularly occurring and meaningful periods of physical placement to provide predictability and stability for the child;
l) whether one party unreasonably refuses to cooperate or communicate with the other party;
m) whether each party can support the other party’s relationship with the child;
n) whether a party has engaged in abuse of the child or the other party;
o) criminal records of either party and those whom the party resides with or is in a relationship with;
p) and whether either party has had a significant problem with drugs or alcohol.
Fourth, keeping a journal will help you keep a timeline of events and provide beneficial information to an attorney to fully understand the full extent of the other parties bad acts and poor decision making.
