On behalf of Cobert, Haber & Haber Attorneys at Law posted in Child Custody on Friday, April 28, 2017.
If you and your spouse in New York cannot come to an agreement about child custody, then the courts will intervene and do it for you. Although you may have valid reasons and strong feelings about why your former partner should not be awarded primary custody, those factors are not enough to get the courts to rule in your favor. Your children’s best interests should be the primary concern between you and their other parent.
Once the courts are involved in your child custody dispute, you need to prepare for the hearing that will take place to determine who will become the custodial parent.
Be the bigger person
Even though you and your spouse may not be able to agree on much during your divorce and child custody thus far, you should work on being the bigger person in the situation. Stop allowing yourself to react negatively to your former spouse. You should work on improving the lines of communication between you to show the courts that you are willing to put your personal interests aside for the good of your children. Respond to all communications from your former partner regarding your children in a positive way and work towards establishing a healthy co-parenting relationship.
Make a good first impression
Treat the hearing like you would a court trial. Wear professional attire and be sure to address and treat everyone at the hearing, including your soon-to-be ex-spouse with respect. The impression you create is one that can affect your case’s outcome.
Bring all documentation
According to The Spruce.com, “you may need to bring documents, such as proof of child support payments and phone logs to your child custody hearing.” These documents should include anything that shows the actions and efforts you have taken to maintain a healthy and positive relationship with your kids and their other parent.
Child custody hearings can be stressful to deal with. Although you want to win custody, you should not let your desires and emotions cause you to act against the best interests of your kids.
