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These mistakes can hurt your child custody case

When parents who share a child decide to divorce or separate, it is inevitable that the subject of child custody will come up. There is no doubt that emotions can soar high during the child custody trial. 

But, while to err is human, it is important that you avoid certain mistakes during your child custody battle. Besides hurting your case, some of these mistakes can land you in trouble with the law. 

Here are costly mistakes you should avoid while litigating your child custody case:

Violating existing custody orders

Depending on the circumstances of the divorce or separation, it is likely the court will put in place temporary or permanent orders regarding the custody of the child. It is important that both parties obey these orders. 

It is not uncommon for the custodial parent to deny the other parent their visitation rights on claims of missed child support payments, or for the non-custodial parent to routinely fail to return the child in time after visitation. 

Both actions amount to a violation of the custody order, for which the responsible party may be found in contempt of court. 

Badmouthing your ex

When the relationship is over, it is not uncommon for either parent to say unpleasant things about their ex. Whether it is true or not, talking ill about your ex in the presence of your child can be detrimental to your custody case. 

Should the court learn about your behavior, this may be treated as parental alienation. And besides hurting your custody case, parental alienation can have a long-term effect on your child’s emotional health as well as their relationship with the other parent too. 

Child custody issues can be difficult, but experienced legal guidance can help you get through these negotiations.