4 Things You Can Do Now to Strengthen Your Custody or Visitation Case
You’ve hired an attorney, and now you’re working on how to strengthen your custody or visitation case. What do you need to know? What can you do now? What should you avoid? Let’s start with four of the most important things you can do now.
Be Consistent
Being consistent in your contacts with the opposition, Child’s GAL, and Guardian ad Litem is key. It’s also one of the most challenging things for parents to do. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything they are doing or tell your child. Nor does it mean you have to follow their rules. It does mean that if you are going to make a request, do it in writing. This makes it easier for everyone involved to avoid misunderstandings and helps your child custody lawyer prepare for trial.
Be Consistent With Your Child
Be careful not to overstep your parenting boundaries now. If you do, it could come back to haunt you later. Think of this as an opportunity for your child to see how their other parent reacts. Are they consistent? Are they patient with them? How are they communicating with their child?
If you are complaining now about how your child is acting, the other party will use this against you later. If there are issues regarding visitation or custody, bring them up with your attorney to work with the Child’s GAL or Guardian ad Litem to develop a plan that works for everyone.
Be Patient
Be patient with yourself, your child’s other parent, the GAL, and Guardian ad Litem. This is hard to do when you’ve been trying for months (or years) to get an agreement on custody/visitation, or if you are dealing with issues like inappropriate parenting or domestic violence. However, it would be best to remain patient, so you don’t do anything that could potentially harm your case. This means not using or sharing your child’s information with anyone who doesn’t need to know and avoiding online forums where professionals may see what you share.
Make Your Best Effort to Communicate
This can be difficult, especially if you are frustrated with the opposition or don’t feel they act in your child’s best interest. That being said, you must keep lines of communication open. This means no name-calling or engaging in any behavior that could potentially harm your case.
The motto for parenting is “always be best,” which is what you should always do. It might not be easy, but it is essential to remember that your child’s needs come first. This means doing everything possible at this stage of the case to strengthen your case for custody or visitation.
