When you’re looking at a future filled with visitation and custody, you want to know that you’re doing what’s best for your child. It’s not always what’s most apparent that’s truly what’s best for your child’s health and happiness, though. You might think it’s your child staying with their father because of the father’s work schedule or staying with you because you have family nearby, but there are actually multiple factors to consider.
The courts want to see more than just who has more time. The court want to know that each parent is of sound mind and that both parents actually want to take on custody. There are situations in which one parent may wish not to have custody at any time and to limit visits, but these cases are few and far between.
The court also wants to talk to people who know you and your family. Do you and your ex get along? How easy is it for you to share custody and transfer your child into the other parent’s custody?
Besides these questions, your judge will also want to know who the primary caretaker is now. If your child is normally with their father, then suddenly changing a schedule to be with their mother would be a shock to the child’s routine. This is something to consider.
The courts only want to do what’s in the best interests of the children they’re aiming to protect. Bring information and support for your request for custody, so you can show that you’re a parent who wants to take on this responsibility.