2 serious mistakes that can hurt your custody case

Anyone who has gone through a divorce knows how difficult and overwhelming the whole process can be.

Divorce becomes especially difficult when there are kids involved, and there is a custody battle. It is not uncommon for the divorcing parties to act irrationally and in ways that can hurt their interests. Here are two costly mistakes that can ruin your child custody case.

Attempting to alienate the child from their other parent

Children thrive best when both parents are in their lives. If you make it a habit of putting down the other parent, especially in the presence of your child, they might feel torn and forced to take sides during the custody battle. The court understands the long-term effects of alienation and will certainly take action if you are found to be interfering with the child’s relationship with the other parent.

The two common forms of parental alienation include:

• Criticizing the other parent in the presence of the child
• Keeping the child from the other parent

Giving in to your anger and behaving violently

Any form of abuse or confrontation can greatly hurt your custody case, especially if you are the aggressor. Violence against the other parent, and/or the child will certainly hurt your chances of getting primary custody of the child. The same is true when you are emotionally abusive. No matter how angry you are at your spouse, keep your temper in check both inside and outside the courtroom.

Child custody can become highly contentious when the divorcing parties pursue their personal agenda at the expense of the child’s best interest. Knowing your rights and obligations can help you avoid pitfalls that are likely to hurt your child custody case.