Dealing with divorce is never easy for the family. If you have filed for divorce already, it’s time to prep for the battles ahead. Many ex-spouses manage to sort issues like child custody, alimony, and distribution of assets, quite amicable. In several cases, however, parents barely agree on anything related to their child. In North Carolina, courts encourage couples to come up with their own parenting agreement, and there are only a few cases, where a court order determines child custody. If you are keen on winning child custody, here are some things to remember.
- Talk to an attorney
Hiring the right Charlotte family law attorney can make a big difference to your child custody battle. An attorney can help in protecting your rights as a parent and guide on mediation and negotiations, as needed. Most family law attorneys know the complications that are typical to child custody concerns, and their advice can help in working in the best interests of the child.
- Decide about your share in parenting responsibilities
As a parent, you are expected to be involved in parenting, or at least contribute enough for child support to your spouse. Just because you want the custody of your child doesn’t mean it’s right for you or the kid. If you don’t keep up with the responsibilities, your spouse can seek legal options to get back the child’s custody. There is no harm in discussing what works best for your personal interests and your life as a parent. In NC, you can seek physical and/or legal custody of the child. If you have legal custody, you can be involved in all serious and relevant matters related to the child’s welfare and wellbeing.
- Open to your ex
This may seem hard, but for child custody, it is necessary to open up ways of communication with your spouse. As parents, you can always agree on things that will protect and focus on wellbeing of your child in the long run. This doesn’t always mean thinking of your personal interests. If you don’t want to talk to your ex in person, or prefer to just talk through your lawyer, that’s always an option. Just make sure that you hire an attorney, who knows how to handle mediation in child custody battles. Having a custody agreement after amicable discussing is way better than an unexpected court order.
If you want certain things from your spouse, let your family law attorney know. They can prep and negotiate the case accordingly.
