Preparing For A Custody Hearing

Posted on: 30 December 2014

If you are divorced or in the process of getting divorced, the wellbeing of your children will be one of the main points that you will need to focus your attention upon. Many divorces will have a vicious battle when it comes to who will have custody of the children. You will need to prepare in advance to help make your case so that you have a better chance in receiving the results that you desire. Here are some guidelines to follow when preparing for your custody hearing.

Watch What You Say

Even though you are pretty upset about the entire situation, you will want to keep from bad-talking your ex-husband or ex-wife. Slandering the other party will not help your case and will make you look bitter and is not going to help your children in any way at all. This other person is your children's other parent and it will be devastating to the child to overhear you speaking badly of them. You must keep this in mind during the entire custody battle.

Try To Settle

If there is any way at all to talk with your ex-spouse about the custody of the children, try to hash it out without involving court at all. If you are able to come to an agreement that can be tolerated by both parties, it may be more favorable to give that a try rather than rely on a court to make the decision. Once you take the custody to a court, you will be strapped into obeying whatever the judge decides. The parents will have much more leniency if settling on custody themselves.

Preparing Your Case

If there is no possible way that you are going to be able to agree on custody without a court procedure, you will need to prepare your case. Gather any witnesses that can attest to the type of parenting job that you do. Your ex-husband or ex-wife will most likely bring up things that will make you look like a bad parent, so be prepared with evidence that will show the court the opposite.

The Day Of The Hearing

Come to court dressed nicely. Business-like apparel will make a favorable impression. Make sure to listen to the questions and take the time to think about your answer before speaking. Do not talk unless you are asked to answer a question. These things will all give you a positive impression to the judge. Be sure to prepare for this day by meeting with a law firm, such as Bergermann Law Firm.

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