What A Man Can Do To Get Ready For A Texas Custody Battle? Here are some tips for men to prepare for a potential child custody battle.
First, speak with a divorce attorney who makes representing men in custody battles a big part of the attorney’s practice.
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.
I often get questions about what a man can do to get ready for a Texas custody battle. If you still have questions, call me! No charge for the initial consultation!
