Word Count: 719 Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 7:28 AM
Win Your Child Custody Case: Three Steps How
Winning your child custody case may be the most important win of your life. No parent wants to lose their child custody case because that means you lose time with your child. The good news is that if you're willing to put in the effort, there's a good chance you can feel victorious about your child custody situation. Here are three tips on how to win your child custody case.
1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. The key to winning in your child visitation situation is to be prepared. You need to do your research and become familiar with the child custody laws in your state. If you are taking your case to court and trying to win sole custody you need to organize your reasons into clear and concise points. If you have an attorney, the attorney will help you prepare. If you don't have an attorney, you need to make sure that you are completely prepared for court and know exactly what to expect.
Make sure you have the evidence to support your case. Get the testimony of some social workers, people who interact with your child at school, and other professionals that support your reasons for wanting custody. You also want to talk to your child about what is going on. Don't try to get your child to tell the court rehearsed phrases from you--they'll figure out what's going on and you'll look bad. Instead, explain to your children that they may be talking to the judge. Encourage them to not be scared and to express themselves honestly. If you and your former spouse have agreed on joint custody then you need to find out about the laws that govern that.
2. Create your child custody schedule. Your child custody schedule is an important part of your custody agreement, and it will probably take the most time to make. Take the time to figure out the schedule that you want. If you have a shared custody situation then you want to create the schedule that works for both you and your ex.
You'll need to come up with basic schedule and then divide up the holidays. You'll probably want to include some one-time special events and recurring events that change the normal schedule. Some parents find it very useful to purchase a computer software program to help make this process easier. Along with the calender, you'll want to figure out the time-share and overnight percentage that each parent has with the child. This is nice for the parents because they know how much time they have with the kids, and it is also necessary for figuring out child support.
If you have a sole custody situation then you need to create your schedule of visitation. Be fair to the other parent. The court will assume that a good relationship with both parents is in the child's best interest--so you need to create a schedule that is in the child's best interest if you want to win your case.
3. Decide on provisions you want in the agreement. Think through any stipulations and provisions you'd like to add to your child custody agreement. You can include a provision that says you are notified if the other parent gets your child a passport. Or, you could have a provision that says each parent will give the other parent an itinerary when taking the child on vacation.
You need to decide what is important to you, and add that to the custody agreement so it becomes legally binding. This way you are winning because you can rest assured that the child is being raised as you wish. If you are going to court for your custody situation, it is impressive if you can bring nice, clean copies of your child custody schedule and any other important documents. Show the judge how you've thought through the entire situation and the judge will listen and accept your ideas.
You can end up with a winning situation with your child custody case. Do your homework and preparation, create your child custody schedule, and decide on any stipulations you want added to your agreement. Then you can enjoy the time you have with your child and really be a winner.
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Learn more about how to win child custody and how to be prepared for child custody court.
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