If you’re a father looking to obtain joint or sole custody of your child or children, you are likely in need of some high-quality counsel—this can be an extremely stressful time, to say the least. When it comes to child custody battles, there is a lot of conflicting information out there, but the expert attorneys at Arnold, Wadsworth & Coggins are here to help. If you believe that it is in your child’s or children’s best interests for you to have the custody you desire, there are a number of ways to help sway the court’s decision in your favor.
- Present yourself as the better parent. If you’re seeking sole custody because you believe the mother is unfit to have custody, you must prove that you’re the better parent—that is, that you’re more responsible and you take better care of your child’s or children’s physical and mental well-being than the mother does. In order to show this, it helps to encourage a healthy physical lifestyle for your child or children—ensure that they eat healthful foods, get enough sleep, and participate in after-school activities on a fixed schedule.
- Stick to the facts and document everything. It is unhelpful to lower yourself to name-calling and accusations without proof, so keep your temper in check, even if the mother resorts to aggressive behavior and unprovable accusations. If you know that the mother is a danger to your child or herself, call Child Protective Services (CPS) immediately. Courts look favorably upon fathers who call CPS in the immediate wake of endangerment or neglect instead of waiting it out. Document every pertinent event and discussion you have with the mother—it helps to limit your correspondence to written letters, emails, and texts as well as recorded conversations—because you never know what may prove that you are indeed the better parent.
- Display calm and polite behavior in court. Come to any court proceeding clean, well-dressed, and with all your documentation. Be respectful to the judge, the lawyers, and the mother, even if she doesn’t reciprocate. Even if she or her lawyers make upsetting statements or accusations, it is crucial that you stay composed—an emotional outburst could damage your case irrevocably. It is also important that you do not interrupt anyone while they are speaking and to speak only to answer questions in a clear manner without any personal opinion or additional statements about another topic.
Child custody battles can certainly be an emotionally taxing time for you, but you’ll always have help from Arnold, Wadsworth & Coggins Attorneys. Our attorneys have over 25 years of experience in trials and litigation, and we’ll be with you every step of the way. To learn more about how we can help you, please call us (801) 475-0123. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
