My name is Danielle Diaz. One of the things I've learned in life, both inside and outside the courtroom, is that it is important to not see others as your enemy. Even though you may see the prosecutor as your enemy, he or she is just trying to do a job. It may be possible that you can get a prosecutor or the judge to be sympathetic and get him or her on your side. In order to accomplish this, you need to understand the law. I feel that most individuals do not understand the law, which is why I was motivated to create this blog.
Douglas Thompson
The custody battle isn't just for the courtroom; out-of-court events have a great impact on the judge's final decision. For example, your dating life can easily ruin your custody battle if you aren't careful. Here are three ways in which this can happen:
You Put Your Date's Needs Ahead of the Kid's Needs
In this world of limited resources, the court doesn't want to see that funds that can be used to improve a child's welfare are diverted to a significant other. Therefore, the other parent will have the upper hand in the custody battle if they can prove that you are using funds meant for the child's upkeep to improve your love life. Renting a house in an excellent neighborhood for your lover while letting your child live in a dangerous neighborhood is a good example of putting your lover's needs ahead of your child's welfare.
Your Dating Life Keeps You Away From Your Kid's Daily Life
Taking care of a child involves much more than providing funds for their upkeep; you need to be involved in their daily life too. For example, you can help them with homework, hold them when they are sick, attend school functions, and read bedtime stories to them. Consider a situation where you used to do all these, and more, and then before hooking up with a new lover and then spending more time with them at the expense of your kids. If the situation suddenly changes when you begin dating, then it can be said that your dating life is keeping you away from your kids, and this jeopardizes your chances of getting custody.
Your New Catch Has a Criminal Past
Lastly, you are also sabotaging your custody case if you are dating someone with a criminal past. This is especially true with violent, drug-addicted or abusive criminals with recent convictions. for one, it shows bad judgment on your part. Apart from that, it also means you will be exposing your kid to bad influence and violence, which no sane family court judge will allow.
It doesn't mean that you shouldn't date if you are headed for a custody battle, but you should be careful on what you expose to your child. You will be alright as long as you are decent in your interactions, and you don't let your intimate life affect your child's welfare. For more information, talk to a professional like Ivy Law Group PLLC.