Almost 10% of the U.S. population is divorced, and a decent number of those cases likely involved a child custody battle. Divorce can be difficult enough without children in the picture, but the addition of a custody battle can make for complex proceedings.
What most couples fail to understand is that during a custody case, the primary interest of the court is to provide a stable, healthy environment for the child or children involved. Here are a few more examples of what a court will look for when deciding a child custody case.
When Determining Which Parent Will Gain Custody
Courts consider a multitude of factors when it comes time to choose the parent who will be awarded custody of a child. These factors include things such as:
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- Personality, disposition, and ability to raise a child
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- Relationship with the child or children
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- Employment status
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- Physical and psychological health
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- Motive for seeking full custody of a child
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- Ability to foster healthy relationships
- Stability around other parent and family members
Of course, these are not the only factors that a court looks at. Others include which parent a child feels more comfortable with, as well as what emotional impact moving to a new place might have on a child. If relocation is part of the divorce plan, then a court must be aware of that and take it into consideration when awarding custody.
What Could Overturn a Decision
Just as a court can decide who is awarded full custody, they can decide whether a parent is fit for the job. Situations arise all the time where child custody lawyers may overturn a decision. Such circumstances include when a parent:
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- Develops a drug or alcohol addiction
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- Is convicted of a crime and sent to prison
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- Plans relocation that interferes with visitation rights
- Accepts a job that disrupts child care
Divorce lawyers and law offices can only do so much if one of these actions causes a court to overturn a custody decision.
Winning a child custody battle is not easy, but it is always useful to know exactly what a court will be looking for during one of these hearings.