Custody disputes among biological parents can be emotionally draining and challenging. When a couple separates or divorces, the decision about who will have custody of their child or children can be complicated, particularly if both parents are fighting for full or joint custody. In this blog post, we will discuss some essential strategies for handling custody disputes among biological parents.
Do not blame your partner – It’s easy to blame your co-parent for any issues in your family. However, when you do that, you are creating distrust in your co-parent and the distance between you and your children. Discuss with your co-parent the problems at hand and how to resolve them without placing blame on either parent.
Use a support network – Both parents should establish a group of people they can rely on for babysitting, advice or general support. It may help to vent with other adults about parenting issues instead of your child. Also, it may give you constructive feedback on how you handle disputes.
Allow your child to have a healthy relationship with both parents – It sounds easy, but many parents try to be “the fun dad” or “the cool mom.” Instead, focus on being the best parent you can be and allow your child to be close to your partner. It will make your child happier in the long term and make it easier for you to parent.
Child’s wishes – In custody disputes involving older children and teenagers, the court may consider the child’s wishes. Thus, it may be difficult for a parent to gain custody of his or her child if the child is opposed to such an arrangement. In cases where a parent wants custody of their child but the child wants to live with the other parent, building a healthy relationship with that child may be the best approach to reaching a mutually agreeable outcome.
Collaborative Law – Another strategy for resolving a custody dispute is collaborative law. This approach involves both parties working together with lawyers who specialize in family law to come up with an agreement that meets everyone’s needs and interests. Collaborative law also allows both parties to maintain control over the outcome of the dispute rather than leaving it up to a judge or jury to decide how things should be handled.
Finally, if all else fails, litigation may be necessary in order for one party to gain full legal custody of their child or children. Litigation involves going through the court system where each party presents evidence before a judge who then makes a ruling on how parental responsibilities should be shared between both parties. This option should only be used as a last resort when all other attempts at resolution have failed due to its costly nature and lengthy process time frame.
No matter what strategy you choose for handling your custody dispute, it is important that you remain focused on what is best for your child or children throughout the entire process. Even if you did an easy uncontested divorce and need to change custody afterwards, it is best to talk to an attorney. It is also important that you remain respectful towards your former partner during this difficult time so that you can reach an amicable agreement that works for everyone involved.
