Divorcing Dads: Tips for Favorable Child Custody

Divorcing Dads: Tips for Favorable Child Custody

When two people divorce, the split often affects the entire family. The range of emotions trickles down from parents and other adults to children old enough to see and hear all that is going on around them. Mothers and fathers seem to turn against one another and fight all the time, just like children who choose sides often quarrel with their siblings who chose differently.

“In a divorce, parents should remember that everything they say and do might be remembered and recited by child witnesses. As such, divorcing parents should keep as much of their hostility in check if they are hoping for a favorable custody agreement,” said Norman A. Green, Senior Partner at Green & Metcalf, P.A. of Vero Beach, FL.

In Florida, courts are to give equal consideration to both the mother and the father when fashioning a parenting plan. For fathers who are hoping to gain equal or majority time sharing with their children, a few key tips include hiring the best lawyer you can afford, keeping a record of anything that may be useful in court, keep any animosity to yourself when around the children, and maintain a sense of normal life for your children so as to not disrupt their emotional status.

“Taking the high road and not speaking badly to children about your soon-to-be ex is one of the best things a father can do if he is seeking equal or majority time sharing with his children. If he does make disparaging remarks about their mother, he risks losing the children – both in their eyes, and in the eyes of the court,” Green said.

Norman A. Green is the founder and a partner of Green & Metcalf - Attorneys At Law. He has over 40 years of experience in the practice fields of criminal defense and family law (divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, modifications of existing orders, prenuptial agreements and alimony cases).