It may go without saying, but divorces and custody battles can get very nasty; and the weapon of choice for most people is the specter of taking the children away from the other parent. Most of the time, this strikes the very core of a person’s being, which is why some take drastic measures to protect their time with their children. Unfortunately, some go about this the wrong way, which leads to more trouble.
For parents who have been threatened with expulsion from their children’s lives, they can take solace in knowing that the family justice system focuses on making things right for children; not fostering revenge. With that, this post offers a few things parents can consider so they can face their fears in court.
People within the system have heard it all before –
If you are dealing with a person who is threatening to display all your faults in gruesome detail (i.e. mental health challenges, drug use, criminal history) chances are that the court has dealt with it before, that your problem, alone, will not keep you out of your children’s lives. After all, parents aren’t perfect, but they are expected to make decisions that are in their children’s best interests.
Both parents’ time is valuable to the child –
While it may not be specifically stated in the statute, both parents matter to children. Also, courts recognize that children tend to do better when both parents are in their lives. Because of this, the notion of one parent actively keeping the other parent out of the child’s life (except in unique circumstances) is frowned upon.
If you have additional questions about combating your fears in family court, an experienced family law attorney can help.