When you find yourself in the middle of a custody dispute, it can be hard to figure out where to start addressing your case. After all, you might feel like you’re being personally attacked by the other parent, and you might struggle to find ways to fend off allegations being made against you.
Yet, you need to be thoroughly prepared going into your custody dispute, otherwise you could wind up with a resolution that’s unfair, minimizes your time with your child, at puts your child’s safety and well-being at risk.
So, be diligent as you gather evidence to support your position in your custody case, keeping in mind that the court will issue an order that it thinks is in your child’s best interests. But where do you even start? Let’s assess where you should start looking for evidence to support your child custody legal arguments.
Where you can find evidence to support your custody arguments
The best interests of the child standard is broad. This means that the court will have the ability to consider any factors that it deems relevant to its determination. With that in mind, you should consider doing the following to gather the evidence you need to proceed with your case:
- Your child’s mental health records: A lot of children who are caught in the middle of their parents’ divorce find support through counseling. By talking to your child’s therapist, you might discover that they have a recommendation for the sort of custody arrangement they think is best for your child. This can be powerful evidence in your custody case.
- Your child’s records: Your child’s needs and each parent’s ability to meet them can be key to your case. So, be sure to submit documentation showing your child’s medical and educational needs while being prepared to show how you’re able to meet them.
- Social media posts: Your child’s other parent might be a frequent social media poster. And if they are, there’s a good chance that they’ve made some unsavory posts that you can use to your advantage. These posts might show the other parent engaging in activity that is not conducive to effective and safe parenting, or it could show that they struggle with basic parenting.
- Records pertaining to the other parent: The other parent’s mental health, medical well-being, and financial stability are all important in determining their ability to appropriately care for your child. Therefore, you might have to use the discovery process to gain access to the information that you need.
- Use a custody evaluation: Sometimes the court wants an unbiased opinion as to what sort of custody arrangement is best for the child. In these instances, the court may order a child custody evaluation to be conducted. But you also have the ability to request one of these evaluations, which could play to your favor.
Be comprehensive in building your child custody argument
Your child’s future is on the line when you’re in the middle of a custody battle. You don’t want to leave any stone unturned in your case, as doing so could be detrimental to your child’s well-being.
So, be sure to discuss the facts of your case with your attorney so that you can gather the evidence necessary to craft the compelling legal arguments necessary to zealously advocate for your child’s best interests.
Hopefully then you can obtain an outcome that allows you to maintain your relationship with your child while setting them up for a bright future.
