How Can an Atlanta, GA Custody Attorney Help You Prepare for a Custody Battle?

Custody battles are never easy. They’re just about the most contentious part of any divorce, and it’s important to work with an experienced custody attorney in Atlanta, GA to ensure that you are fully prepared to fight for what’s best for your child and for your own rights as a parent.

Working Through Your Goals and Priorities

Every custody battle is a bit different, and every parent has different goals. The first step will be sitting down with your lawyer and thinking through carefully what you want and how it aligns with the standard that the court will apply: the best interests of your child. 

When the court says it’s primary concern is the “best interest of the child,” what does that mean? Some of the factors that the court will consider will include the emotional ties that the child has with you (and with the other parent), your ability to provide for your child’s needs (including evaluating the state of your own physical and mental health), any history of domestic violence or substance abuse, and how deeply embedded the child is in their current living situation. Once you have considered all these factors, you’ll be in a good place to start positioning yourself for this custody battle.

Gather All Relevant Evidence

With your goals in place, the next step is to gather all the evidence required to show why your plan for your child is the best one. Some of what you’ll need will include school and medical records, your own financial information to show that you are capable of providing, and any records of domestic violence or abuse on the part of the other parent. 

It will also help if you keep a sort of journal or diary tracking the time you spend with your child and what you’ve been doing, as this will show how active you are in your child’s life. If you have communication with the other parent through text messages or email, this can also be helpful either in demonstrating that you are willing to cooperate or in showing that the other parent is not.

Develop a Parenting Plan

You may be seeking sole custody of your child, but it’s very rare even in cases of sole custody for the other parent to be denied any interaction at all. This means that you will need to have a plan in place for how to arrange for visitation, and possibly also for decision-making and resolving conflicts.

Your lawyer will help you hash out a plan that meets your goals and is appropriate to the situation, and a lawyer understands what the court is looking for and can help you outline, prove, and present your plan to demonstrate that it is in your child’s best interests.If you are in the midst of a custody battle or anticipate one, don’t try to go it alone.

 Contact us now at South Atlanta Family Law in Stockbridge, GA, where we represent clients throughout the greater South Atlanta area.

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