How To Get Custody Of Your Children As A Recently Divorced Father
Posted on: 13 February 2017
Share
Divorce is rarely a cut-and-dry process. More often than not, it involves a series of messy battles between former spouses over everything from the car to the house to alimony. But in almost every case, both parents see custody of their children as being of the utmost importance. And unless your divorce is an extreme exception, you face an uphill battle for custody as a father. That said, there are plenty of things you can do to work toward getting part- or even full-time custody of your kids. Keep reading below to discover just a few of them.
Value Your Visitation Time
Some amount of visitation time is usually granted to the father after a divorce, and the best thing you can do if you're a dad is to show the judge how much you value this time with your children. Even if visitation hours are during weekdays, do whatever it takes to get the allotted time off from work, and plan activities for your kids beyond just watching television or playing video games. All of this will count as valuable evidence in your case for custody.
Get Affidavits
Another thing you will want to do as soon as possible in a divorce is begin collecting affidavits. These are legal documents that -- in the case of a custody battle -- will contain testimony from family, friends, or others in your life who know you and view you in a positive light. The more affidavits you can present in court, the more confidence a judge will have that your custody is justified. This is especially important if your soon to be ex-wife is slandering your name in court and you need to counter it with concrete proof.
Leverage Your Income
If there's a significant disparity between the earning power of you and your former spouse, never hesitate to leverage it to your advantage in court. Even though courts will often side with a mother when it comes to custody, the tide can quickly turn if it is shown that the mother doesn't possess the ability to provide for her children in a way the court deems sufficient. If your earning power allows you to give the children a comfortable home with access to a quality education (and the same can't be said for the children's mother) then you have a more than decent chance of getting full-time custody.
For more info, contact a firm such as Kalasnik Law Office.