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14 Reasons Not to Go Through a Child Custody Case Without an Experienced Divorce Attorney

Apr 14, 2021 | Child Custody, Divorce

When you are involved in a child custody case, you will want to make sure you have an experienced attorney on your side to help you negotiate the pitfalls and understand the details of this complicated time.

14 Reasons Not to Go Through a Child Custody Case Without an Experienced Divorce Attorney

1. Child Support

Divorce can be expensive, especially when there are children involved. Your spouse is likely to be asking for child support if the children will spend most of their time at that person’s residence. Your ex-spouse will be able to ask for any amount of child support, and that person’s attorney will work to get the most money possible for the client.
There are specific criteria for determining child support, and your attorney will know what those criteria are. This will ensure that you are not taken advantage of when it comes to child support. You may even find that, depending on the circumstances of your case, you are the one who is entitled to money for child support.

2. Fair Custody Arrangements

In most cases, you are entitled to spend a certain amount of time with your children. If your ex-spouse has bitterness or other emotional trauma, that person might work to see that you are not given the proper amount of time with your kids. You may be cheated out of parenting time that the courts would have awarded to you.

Your divorce attorney knows the laws surrounding what is appropriate for child custody, parenting time, and visitation. Your lawyer will make sure that you are given the proper amount of time with your kids.

3. Decision-Making Power

Where the children physically spend their time, is not the same thing as decision-making power in the children’s lives. You will want to make sure that you are given the proper power when it comes to making choices about your children’s education, medical care, and other decisions.

Your attorney will know what you should be able to help decide when it comes to your children’s lives and will make sure that your agreement includes that ability to make these important decisions for your children.

4. Trial Experience

If you and your ex-spouse cannot agree on specifics regarding your case, you will need to go to family court, where a judge will determine the outcome. If this happens, you will want an experienced attorney arguing your case to make sure that the outcome is fair to you.
An attorney with experience knows how judges think and what they will want to hear in order to rule favorably in your situation.

5. Holiday Schedule

Holidays are a time that needs to be specifically addressed, and many people forget about that when they are negotiating their own child custody case. If you do not create a specific holiday schedule, you may miss time with your kids on special days.

Your attorney will help you negotiate an agreement with your ex-spouse about where your child will spend the holidays. Some parents like to alternative years when it comes to holiday arrangements while others like to split the day itself. Your attorney will also not let you forget about an agreement for your child’s birthday.

6. Healthcare Arrangements

Part of your child custody agreement will be determining who is responsible for having health insurance for the children. This often falls to the parent who has a job where insurance is provided, but it must be specified in the agreement to avoid conflict.

Your attorney will help you determine who will hold health insurance for the kids, as well as any specific agreements such as which hospital or doctor you will be using for your children.

7. Negotiation

Child custody agreements revolve around negotiation. There are many complicated points that will need to be negotiated and agreed upon. You will want an attorney with the experience to know how the negotiation will work and to be tough when it comes to points that are important to you.

8. Legal Consequences

If your ex-spouse does not comply with the child custody agreement you have made, there are potential legal consequences. Your attorney will be able to explain to you what those legal consequences are and help you file the appropriate paperwork with the court under the right circumstances. This will enforce the agreement you made and ensure that you get your appropriate time and other points agreed upon.

9. Defense

If you are accused of not complying with the agreement, your attorney will be able to argue your defense with the court. There may be extenuating circumstances and legitimate reasons you have broken the agreement, and your attorney will make the court aware of these issues.

10. Reduce Stress

Getting divorced and negotiating child custody will be among the most stressful experiences of your life. When you hire a professional to help you with these issues, you are taking some of that stress off yourself. It is important that you allow an experienced professional to take care of as much as possible in your case, so you are saved from that headache.

11. Binding Agreement

When you are not a legal expert, you may not know what goes into making a binding agreement. If you try to negotiate your child custody agreement yourself, you may find that you have left large loopholes that can be taken advantage of by your ex-spouse.

It is important that you use a lawyer who understands all aspects of child custody to create an agreement that cannot be broken. This is one way you will know that your rights will be upheld and that you will not be blindsided by your ex-spouse altering or ignoring the arrangements you have made.

12. Experience

Child custody cases are probably all new to you, but an experienced attorney has dealt with all aspects of this before and has the experience to know what is likely to happen in your case. Experience tells an attorney how a judge will rule on a particular point, how much to ask for in terms of support, and other details that you may not completely understand.

You are doing yourself a favor when you hire someone who has experience in this field. You and your kids will be the ultimate beneficiaries of your attorney’s professional background.

13. Speed Up the Process

Child custody cases can sometimes drag on for months or even years. Your attorney will know how to speed up the process and get everything done in a reasonable amount of time.

14. New Options

Because you do not have the background and experience to successfully negotiate the best child custody arrangements, you may also be unaware of additional options you have. Your attorney can let you know if there are choices you are missing or haven’t thought about that can be good for your children and make your case easier to complete.

When you are going through a divorce, especially one that involves child custody arrangements, you are probably overwhelmed and stressed by all that there is to do and decide. You will want an experienced attorney working hard on your side to get you the best deal possible and to defend you and your children’s best interests. Call us at Skillern Firm for a consultation about your case.