The Vastness of the Law

Child Custody Battles: Issues That Might Prompt The Need For Professional Legal Representation

High chances are that your divorce process will get complicated if there are children involved. Both party's emotional attachment with the kids can make it hard to remain objective during negotiations, leading to heated arguments. You and your partner may want to make hard stands to ensure you get more time with the kids or avoid paying child support. Unfortunately, that might only make your marriage dissolution complex, expensive, and lengthier than expected. You can avoid these challenges by getting professional legal representation when the following issues arise during or after a divorce. 

Your Ex-Spouse Is Not Ready to Continue With The Custody Agreement 

Your ex-spouse might feel short-changed if they realize that the custody agreement does not allow them enough time with the kids. For this reason, they may want to amend the agreement to allow them a few more hours with the children. Your partner may, as a result, want to convince the court that you're unfit to have the kids over for a long time. An experienced lawyer can help you fight this allegation to ensure that you don't lose your right to participate in your children's lives. They will request your partner to provide information proving that the amendments they are proposing are in the kids' best interest. The court will disallow any amendments that only seek to benefit your ex-spouse or are self-centered. 

Your Ex-Spouse Is Denying You Access to The Kids

Your partner has no right to deny you access to the kids if the court has allowed you to visit or spend time with them. Therefore, if your ex denies you parenting time or cancels your visit at the last minute, you may consider getting legal assistance. You're supposed to keep detailed documentation of all these behaviors to help your lawyer substantiate your claim. Your evidence may include phone call records and messages showing how you begged your partner to allow you some time with the children.  

Your Ex-Spouse's Behavior Has Changed 

You may also need professional legal assistance if your ex-spouse has lately changed their behavior a lot. For example, they might have started being uncooperative, making it hard to co-parent as ordered by the court. Your partner might also have become violent or abusive, making it risky to allow them to spend time with the kids. Your attorney will help you get a court order in all these cases, compelling your ex-spouse to honor the existing agreements. They can also help you get an injunction, blocking your partner from visiting your kids or spending time with them if you feel their lives are in danger.  

The issues above require a deep understanding of child custody law, making it challenging to navigate them with your ex-spouse. Therefore, you may want to leave them in the hands of a professional child custody attorney