If you thought divorces were hard, then get ready for child custody cases, because those can also be rough. Because of this, you should hire a smart child custody lawyer who can help you in dealing with these common challenges in child custody cases.

Challenges You May Face In Your Child Custody Case

Parent’s Financial Condition

The foundation of child custody cases is built on the fact that the parent gaining custody has more than enough money and financial means to support themselves as well as their child/children. So, if you’re a parent who is struggling financially, then it can create a problem for you in the long run.

This is something that you need to understand before making any emotional decision, because as much as you want things to go your way, if the court deems that you are unsuitable to take care of a child, then the court’s word goes. This is not something that you can challenge so easily, because everyone can see how you’re making ends meet.

So, if you want to be able to give your child a good future, then you want to be financially strong, stronger than your spouse, because the court will decide which parent is suitable for the child. This is a really common challenge that a lot of couples face during child custody cases and it is something that can turn everything on its head. So, this is something that you have to know and prepare for when going into child custody.

Exploiting Children

A lot of the time, spouses with ill intentions can use children as their scapegoats. This is common if there’s a history of one parent using kids as a shield for their gain and getting what they want emotionally.

Well, this can also happen in court and as much as you don’t want it to happen, well, things are different. So, you need to be prepared for such things. Exploiting the children will only be bad and the ones doing so will get caught and reprimanded, so you want to always go down the logical path.

Difficult Situations

During child custody cases, there can be a lot of difficult situations. If the kids are young, then it won’t be as big of a problem, but if the kids are old enough to understand what their parents are going through, then they will try to take sides.

This is only natural, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t create any unwanted problems in the custody process. If the child is old enough to make decisions for themselves, then they will be asked who they want to stay with and if they give an answer, then that is literally what the courts will do.

The Child’s Mental Well-Being

A divorce is just as hard for the children as it is for the couple going through this phase and there can be a lot of times when children don’t adapt well to this change. Their mental health is severely affected and they’re just not in their right mind.

This can create a lot of problems for parents in child custody cases, because the court will want the child to be as unaffected in the process as possible, but if that is not the case, then the law enforcement system will do everything they can to make sure that the child’s future is not jeopardized even more than it already has been.

Failure To Pay Child Support

Child support is also a very common issue that a lot of people come across during child custody cases. Even though a parent is given custody, the parent with the better financial situation has to pay child support until everything is sorted out and that can be a problem.

A lot of people don’t want to pay child support, which is bizarre, but it can be resolved if the courts are involved, so if you don’t want the process to get delayed any longer, then make sure to discuss this with your family attorney Fairfax VA who will bring this matter up in court.

Interruption

While the child custody case is underway, the court can grant visitation rights to parents who don’t have the physical custody of the child. However, this is not so smooth either, because one way or another, a parent will try to interrupt the time the other one has with their child.

This is a clear violation of court orders and this is not going to go down well at all. This is why you want to ensure that you’re not creating more delays in an already sensitive matter, because it is not going to be good for anyone.

Relocation

After a divorce, one spouse or parent can move somewhere and if that is the case, then child custody cases can get delayed or they can go at a really slow pace, which is not what you want. Even worse, the parent who is getting relocated can also take the child with them and that is a whole new ball game and a messy situation that you don’t want to get tangled in.

This is why it is recommended to sort out custody cases before any major moves or relocation, because that is in the best interest of everyone.

The Overall Dynamic Change

Children can sense the family dynamic changing and it is something that they can’t adapt well to. If that is the case, then this can be a huge challenge for you in the custody case. It is normal for kids to feel this way, but it is not going to leave a good impression on the courts.

This is why everyone’s main priority should be to ensure that the children are as unaffected by this unstable process as possible. This will only make everything else as smooth as possible, so make sure that you’re not doing anything that would mess the child up even more.

History

There might be a reason that you’re filing for a divorce and trying to get full custody of the children. There might be a history of abuse, neglect, and even domestic violence and you don’t want to keep anything in the dark.

This could be your way of getting what you want – and that is to keep yourself and your kids safe from any more trauma. So, if there is a history of abuse in your marriage, then you want to bring it out in the open, because it’ll only be beneficial for you in the end.

Volatile Behavior

Some parents aren’t exactly great at their job and they can expose the kids to violent behaviors and even subject them to terrible things. This environment is not safe for the kids and if that is the reason why you’re filing for divorce and full custody, then you need to look out for the same behavior in court.

You don’t want any more sour instances between the two of you and to keep your kids away from this mess is your goal. So, do everything you can to make things right.

Conclusion

Child custody cases are never easy and running into these problems is quite common. So, say or do anything without getting advice from your child custody attorney Fairfax VA. They are here so that you avoid mistakes and increase your likelihood of winning child custody.