Anytime two spouses separate and find it difficult to determine a mutually beneficial parenting plan, there may be a need to seek a child custody order through the courts. This can be a stressful situation as the decision is placed in someone else’s hands. As such, you’re having an experienced child custody lawyer in Chicago is crucial. There are also a few things you can do to ensure you don’t cause additional problems for yourself during this time.
Refusing Communication
If one of the spouses in a divorce refuses to communicate with the other parent, this can be a serious issue. When there is not an agreement about joint custody, judges may look to determine whether one parent should have the bulk of decision-making ability. If the other parent is not co-parenting or communicating, this can sway things to one side or the other. You can easily be deemed the parent who is problematic if you are the one who is not communicating.
Being Arrested
Another situation that can seriously wreck your child custody is being arrested while the dispute is in place. If you are arrested for a violent crime, this can make it seem as if you have anger management issues or are likely to be violent in the future. This can mean not being permitted to have unsupervised time with the children. Being arrested for possessing drugs or driving under the influence may also look unfavorable to the judge.
Disobeying Temporary Custody Orders
In many cases, the court will issue a temporary custody order at the beginning of a divorce which stays in place until a trial happens. These orders might outline how often a child is with each parent, who has decision-making capabilities, and more. Choosing to ignore this order will not look good to any judge in your case. This can be something as simple as not taking a child back to the other parent at the time you were ordered. It shows you are not interested in cooperating with the court and can lead to a decision that is not in your favor.
Avoiding problems when in a child custody situation is important, and your Chicago family law attorney can offer insight into other things to avoid during this time. If you are ready to speak to a lawyer, the experts at Michael C. Craven, Partner, Harrison & Held, LLP can help. You can learn more by visiting www.DivorceLawyersChicago.com.
