Divorce is very hard on everyone involved, especially when there are children involved. Child custody can make divorce proceedings last longer than necessary. Many parents fight very hard over their children. However, it does not have to be that way.
Here are some questions to consider to help parents decide who should get custody of the children.
- Think about your children. Who takes care of the children most of the time? Should that stay the same? Which parent has more time for your children? Though both of you may work, you want to make sure that the parent who has the children will have plenty of time to spend with the children.
- Which parent is able to care for the children in every way? Children need to have a happy and stable home, especially during the early part of divorce. They may have a lot of trouble adjusting to the divorce and will need a lot of love and attention.
- Where will the children live? Can your children stay in the same home that they have always lived in? If not, who is going to have the best home to raise your children in? Will your children have to change schools? Do you want them to?
- Is family close by? It may help to have extended family close by to help everyone adjust. If some (or a lot) of family is close by, that may really help the children adjust to the divorce. It will also help a parent adjust to life as a single parent.
- Sometimes, you can ask children who they want to live with. They might be old enough to decide who they want to live with.
It can be really difficult to decide who should get custody of your children during a divorce. A judge handling a custody case will make a decision based on what is in the best interest of the children, and the above questions will be considered in rendering that decision.
Look at every option and do not let your feelings cloud your judgment so your children can have a happy and stable home to grow up in.
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