Child Custody Divorce - 8 Questions To Ask Yourself

[Antonia Eastwood]

There are many considerations to make in a child custody divorce
battle. Custody battles bring out the best in people but also the
worst. Mothers regard their children as possessions generally more
than fathers. Assuming this is true, the perception of mothers in
custody battles is the father would be trying to take their babies
away from them. With this in mind, a fierce battle will ensue. The
battle will often tell what tone the parents will have with each other
for years to come.
The child custody divorce battle exposes strengths and weaknesses in
parenting and personality because the battle often exposes some truths
about the parents, which may actually benefit the children not matter
what the outcome.
The reason is that the parents may alter their lifestyles as a result
(or more accurately, the court may order them to change or alter their
lifestyle by threatening to take the child away from one or both of
the parents. So the battle may have its upside, but there are no
guarantees.
You must make the system work for you. The battle, in my opinion,
should be waged ruthlessly but legally. In extreme cases, it is
necessary to be aggressive and clever to expose the other parent and
their true problems.
Two of the problems I've seen--no matter the case--is that those in a
child custody divorce battle don't think tactically and they
underestimate their spouse. So many times I've hear them say, "My
spouse would never do that." And of course they do! But sometimes it
is too late to document what happened. The element of surprise and
being prepared are imperative in extreme cases or when you are dealing
with a difficult personality.
These are people who sit around all day just thinking of evil things
to do to their spouse. When dealing with this kind of person, not only
do you need to be aware and prepared, but you also need to think
tactically for your safety.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when battling for custody:
1. Are you the best parent to raise the child?2. Can you reach an
amicable settlement out of court?3. Do you have enough evidence to win?
4. How much damage emotionally will your child endure from suing for
custody?5. How much damage will your child endure if you don't sue for
custody?6. Will the other parents always be difficult?7. Will your
spouse change for the benefit of the child because you are suing for
custody?8. Can you afford to sue for custody?
These are just some of the considerations for fighting for custody.
Sometimes compromise is the best solution. Be sure to consider all the
angles before escalating the child custody divorce dispute.