When it comes to divorce, there is nothing more important than your children. It’s important that you have an experienced Houston child custody lawyer who can help you devise a custody plan that is fair.
There are very few situations where it’s not a good idea to have both parents share time with their kids. Your lawyer and the judge will have the best interests of the children in mind. The last thing they want to see are parents fighting over custody.
The worst thing a parent can do is try to keep their kids away from the other parent. It doesn’t matter how much you and the other parent hate each other, you can’t use the kids as weapons.
There are a few things a Houston family law attorney won’t do:
- Use your children as a bargaining chip
- Hold the children hostage until you get a better financial settlement
- Try to prevent the other parent from having partial custody or visitation if it’s in the best interests of the kids
- Allow you or encourage you to talk badly about your spouse in front of the children
When it comes to divorce, children too often become collateral damage. Just because your marriage or relationship didn’t work out, that doesn’t mean you aren’t both good parents. Your children are better off spending time with both parents. There’s rarely a good reason to try to keep them from the other party.
Of course, there are times when it’s not a good idea to allow the other parent to have custody of the kids:
- If he or she have an alcohol or drug problem
- If he or she has subjected your family to physical or mental abuse
- If he or she doesn’t have reliable housing
- If he or she is unfit
Proving these things can be difficult. This is why you need to call an experienced child custody lawyer in Houston, Texas.
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Houston Custody Lawyer’s Know that Nothing is More Important Than Your Children
When you decide to get a divorce, your first thought will be of your children. You worry about how they’ll react to the news. You pray that they come out of this okay. The last thing you want to do is hurt your children.
Generally speaking, if you’ve filed for divorce, there’s a good reason. Most people look at divorce as a last resort. If things are bad enough to separate, then chances are your kids are already suffering.
Your lawyer will do his best to make the divorce process as painless as possible for you and your children. There is only so much he can do to totally shield them from the process. However, every decision your lawyer makes will have your kids’ best interests at heart.
While you’re negotiating your divorce, things can become uncomfortable for your whole family. Don’t think your kids don’t know what’s going on. Even young children notice when things aren’t the way they used to be.
Some of the immediate changes that take place during the divorce process are:
- You and your spouse separate and live in different houses
- The children spend time at two different houses
- Rarely do the kids spend time with both parents together
- The kids may hear things from their friends and family about the divorce
- The day-to-day routine changes
Your kids are more aware of what’s going on than you may think. It’s important that you do everything you can to make them comfortable and safe. Your attorney can help you do this.
Child Custody Lawyers in Texas Will Fight for You
When it comes to child custody, there’s usually one party who is deemed the custodial parent. This is the parent who will primarily have custody and responsibility for the children. Usually, it’s the parent who was the natural caretaker prior to the divorce. Whether it’s fair or not, this is usually the mother.
Sometimes, especially when there are young children, only one parent works. The other one stays home and takes care of the kids. This is why it usually makes sense for the stay-at-home parent to be the custodial parent. The kids are used to spending time with this parent.
Regardless of your situation, your child custody lawyer will work to come up with a solution that’s best for everyone. This may mean that one parent only has custody on the weekends. However, it ultimately comes down to what is best for the children.
If both parents live in the same town, custody is usually a easier to navigate. As long as there aren’t issues with getting the kids to school on time, there’s no reason both parents shouldn’t be involved. Of course, this is more difficult where one parent’s work schedule gets in the way.
Ideally, you and the other parent will come up with an agreement that works for the whole family. Some of the common child custody arrangements are:
- One parent has primary custody and the other parent has the kids every other weekend
- The parents share custody equally and have the kids half the time
- The parents use a one week on/one week off schedule where each parent takes turns caring for the children
If you can’t come up with an agreement, your lawyer can do it for you. He’ll work with the other parent’s lawyer to find a custody plan that fits. It’s in your best interest to do this without getting the judge involved. The last thing a judge wants to hear is that the parents are fighting over custody. He or she will expect the parents to work out their differences for the benefit of their children.
A Custody Lawyer in Houston Will Help You with a Custody Modification
We all know what can happen to the best laid plans of mice and men. They get broken! The same is true for child custody arrangements. After all the effort to come up with a plan that works, there are times when it just isn’t a good fit.
Circumstances change. People get new jobs. Life happens. When it comes time to change your custody arrangement, you need to involve your Houston custody lawyer. Some situations that may arise include:
- One parent gets sick or hurt
- One parent moves out of town or out of state
- Both parents decide that the current arrangement isn’t feasible
- One parent doesn’t have the time to care for the kids the way they wanted to
- One or all of the children change schools
In most of these scenarios, both parents realize that things aren’t working. Maybe one is reluctant to admit it because they’re stubborn. Or, the non-custodial parent is afraid his child support will increase if he loses time with the children. And, it will. But again, this shouldn’t be your primary concern. Your primary concern must always be the best interests of your children.
When the time comes to change your custody plan, call a Houston child custody lawyer. He can propose an alternate plan to your ex-spouse’s attorney. You and the other parent will have to come up with a new arrangement. If you’re unable to do so, you’ll have no choice but to file a motion with the court.
If your lawyer has to file a custody motion, things could get messy. That’s why having a dedicated attorney by your side can make a world of difference. We know what’s important to you, and will work to achieve your goals.
Contact an Experienced Child Custody Lawyer in Houston, Texas
If you’re involved in a child custody battle, you need to contact a child custody lawyer with Eddington & Worley. Whether you’re the custodial parent or not, you’re going to need legal representation. Changing a custody plan involves more than just text messages with the other parent. It can’t be accomplished over the phone. It can get complicated and people can get angry.
Leave your custody battle up to your attorney. He will work hard to come up with a custody modification that works for everybody, especially your children.
Call us today at (346)444-1069 and schedule a risk-free consultation with our expert family lawyers today. You can sit down with your attorney and ask any questions you may have. You also need to let him know what your ideal child custody plan is. Let him know what the issues are with your current plan. Then he comes up with some options that work for everyone.
You can bet your ex will have a lawyer handling things for him. The last thing you want to do is be blindsided by a custody motion, You may find that you’re in over your head. Don’t leave any room for error. Contact a Houston family lawyer at Eddington & Worley today.