When making decisions on child custody, courts are required to consider the child’s best interests. Although the meaning of “best interests” may vary by jurisdiction, in most cases, the court favors parents who take an active role in children’s lives and those who help them keep a good relationship with their other parent.
Preparation and Documentation
Proper preparation can help parents win child custody disputes. The parent should consider keeping a journal during the custody process, highlighting their efforts to nurture a relationship with the children. It’s a good idea to work on one’s parenting skills and to encourage positive interactions between family members. Parents should document incidents that indicate the other parent’s potential unfitness, and they should consider asking people to become witnesses during hearings.
Home Environment and Lifestyle
Keeping a good home environment and appropriate lifestyle can help parents win custody battles. Therefore, parents should make choices that are in line with healthy parenting standards, and they should maintain a safe, clean home. Fostering a child-appropriate lifestyle can make it harder for each parent and their family law attorney in Bethlehem, PA to claim that the other parent is unfit.
Counseling
Hiring a therapist to help the children get through a divorce can help parents during custody disputes. Courts put significant emphasis on the counselor’s opinion, and the therapist’s testimony can be an important tool. Although therapists may be reluctant to make recommendations, their professional opinion can give the judge important information on parents’ strengths and weaknesses.
The Child’s Wishes
In custody battles concerning teens and older children, courts may consider a child’s wishes, and it might be hard for a parent to get custody if the child opposes the arrangement. In instances where a parent is asking for custody but the child’s wishes differ, building a healthier relationship with the child can help achieve an equitable outcome.
An Attorney’s Help
In custody disputes, parents should contemplate hiring a family law attorney in Bethlehem, PA who handles child custody cases. Even if the dispute is included in a divorce, not all attorneys handle custody negotiations. Therefore, hiring a custody lawyer with visit the website can help a parent prevail in court.
