How To Achieve Full Child Custody For Fathers

The Dreaded Custody Battle

Men are seldom granted full custody of their child, even though they have not been actively discriminated against in court –– according to existing census records, only 15.7% of custodial parents remain fathers. In such cases, judges often make these decisions that they deem are in the best interest of the child. This usually entails keeping in constant contact and maintaining good relationships with both parents, provided if there are no major serious concerns, such as drug abuse.

Whether you’re preparing for joint or full custody, entering a full-blown custody battle will always seem intimidating. However, here are some tips that will help prepare yourself beforehand to achieve your desired result during the forensic evaluation for child custody.

Practicality and Honesty

The first step in winning a custody battle is to be honest with yourself. Are you financially independent? Do you have any pressing monetary issues? Are you able to manage yourself and your child? This includes considering all the different responsibilities that come with being a single parent, which you’ll have to manage on a day-to-day basis. It is vital that you answer these questions truthfully, whilst acknowledging the strengths and limits of your abilities. Demonstrating such rational behavior would increase the likelihood for the court to consider your requests –– they’d appreciate it more if it seemed like you’re aware of what you’re signing yourself up for.

Planning Ahead

It’s customary to come fully prepared, especially if you’re fighting for a custody battle –– any judge would expect you to know these practices inside out! We strongly suggest coming up with a list of potential questions that a judge may pose, and craft out intelligent and honest responses. 

One sure-fire important topic includes the expected living conditions for the child. You’ll need to prepare a suitable living accommodation for your child –– such as having a safe and secure residence, access to education, proper hygiene, being properly taken care of, extra-curricular activities, etc. Thus, it is ideal to have your child’s accommodation and living conditions well planned out before proceeding with child custody hearings.

Seek Consult with Other Parents

Getting a second opinion never hurts; in fact, it may be your next lifeline in disguise! We recommend seeking out individuals who have also been through similar situations, and politely ask for their insights. Who knows? Their advice might perhaps offer guidance and valuable tips to prepare you for what’s ahead. 

However, it’s important to remember that each person’s experience with child custody battles is different and unique to each case. Listen with a discerning ear to differentiate facts from emotions, and always remain impartial –– refrain from letting one’s negative experiences unnecessarily cloud your judgment.

Demonstrate Involvement

Whilst it’s important to ensure that your child’s physical needs are satisfied, the court would also look for evidence that their emotional needs are also being met. Hence, having (and demonstrating!) a strong and meaningful relationship between your child and you is crucial to winning a custody battle. 

One sure-fire way is being involved in your child’s life. Establishing relationships with other people in your child’s life, attending to their important milestones, building friendships with their friends (and maybe even their friends’ parents) are all telltale signs of a healthy parent-child relationship. Plus, remember to invest time in growing your child’s dreams and aspirations as well. 

Contribute to Child Support

It is imperative to set a good foundation by paying for child support regularly, regardless of the family situation, or if you’re going for joint or full custody. Even if you have an unofficial arrangement with the other parent, one way to keep good track records is to have receipts, checks, or other documents to state that you have been making a consistent effort in financially supporting your child’s needs. 

In a situation where you’re struggling to make regular payments for child support, a request for child support modification is possible. However, do note that this is only awarded if the child’s parent experiences a significant change in income or job status. 

Regardless of the type of custody you are going for, it is paramount that you always prioritize your child’s needs above anything –– such as requesting child support from the other parent if you are struggling financially, for example. 

Record Your Visitations

Having an updated and accurate record of your visitation schedules is a great indication of your sincerity, commitment, and effort in trying to obtain child custody. This can be done easily using a calendar or even a child custody phone app –– these apps have time and date stamps of visits and can be submitted as reliable evidence in court.

When visiting your child, it’s important to always honor the pre-submitted parenting arrangements and keep records of them. In the case whereby your ex-partner is not honoring their end of the agreement, disallowing you from honoring yours, remember to keep records of that.

Be Respectful To Your Partner and Child

Observing proper respect for your ex-partner and your child is imperative to winning over child custody. Maintaining a good and healthy relationship with your ex-partner not only helps to preserve parent-child relationships but also allows space to arrive at a mutually beneficial decision in court. We strongly recommend this as it is common for judges to be biased towards the parent who is the victim of parental disagreements. 

Child custody battles are never easy, but it is most harmful to the child, whose feelings and opinions are often neglected and overridden in custody cases. Remember to pause and ask for your child’s opinion and wishes, especially amid important decision-making processes, such as living accommodations –– it is ultimately them who have to live with the court’s decisions. By allowing them a safe space to voice out their opinions and emotions independently, you’re able to craft a custody request through a demonstration of effective listening and parenting.

Conclusion

In the case of custody battles, judges will always refrain from altering existing parental arrangements if it seems like things are working out. Hence, if you’re seeking to pursue full custody, remember to offer an explicit explanation of why such a new arrangement would be for the better for both parents and child.