The Inner Workings of a Law Firm

Deciding Who Gets Custody

8 December 2016 by Jo Rodriquez

Deciding who gets custody of the children in a split can be one of the biggest points of contention. Thankfully, there are many objective ways to figure out who should have custody. 

Speak with Your Partner

Before getting a lawyer involved, you might try talking with your ex-partner about what their ideas are for custody. Are they willing to split custody with you, or are they determined to have full custody? If they won custody, would they want to allow you to visit the children? It helps to understand what arrangements would be acceptable to the other person, since you may find more common ground than you thought you would have. 

Evaluate Each Person's Financial Situation

You may also want to think about whether both of you could viably take care of the children if you shared custody. What are your financial arrangements? Do both of you have a stable job, a stable place to live, and the time and means to provide care for the children?

Evaluate Both People's Schedules

Money isn't the only thing that goes into being a good parent. Both parents should show that they have the time and energy to devote to being a good parent. If one person's job is very inflexible and they wouldn't be able to take off work to pick up their sick kids from school, then this may not be the person to take care of the kids in a custody decision.

Evaluate Social and Personal Lives

Your personal life can affect your children greatly. You may want to evaluate the safety for children, for instance, in terms of who may be interacting with the children in the case of each parent gaining custody. If either of you has some questionable hobbies or friends, then you could discuss giving custody to the other person to provide a healthier home life for the children. 

Hire a Lawyer

In many cases, even through reasoning, you can't solve the issue of who should have custody by talking with your partner. In that case, contact a practitioner of family law to discuss your case. They might go through many of the points above with you to help you collect evidence that you would make a great custodial parent for your children. They could also ask friends and family to provide testimonies in your favor as guardian. There are many angles that you could take when presenting yourself for a custody trial, so speak with your lawyer to determine the best options.

For more information, contact local professionals like Sherri H. Stoney Law Firm.

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