How to Increase Your Chances at Obtaining Custody

Deciding who will have custody over a child is a very tough decision for the court to make. After all, you are asking a complete stranger to make a decision that will impact your child for years to come. In the State of Texas, the courts are guided by the principle of doing what’s in the best interest of the child. The court will evaluate several factors in deciding whom to award custody to.

While there is no absolute way to guarantee that you will get custody, here are a few tips to help increase your chances at doing so.

1. Be Involved from Day One

From the moment that your child enters this world, you should make every attempt to be involved in their life. Some ways to showcase your involvement in your child’s life include: caring for their needs, supporting them emotionally and financially, having frequent and regular visitation with your child, taking them to the doctor, and being active in their schooling and academics.

Basically, you need to show the court that you are serious about being a full-time parent. Absent extreme circumstances, a parent who has never been involved in their child’s life has very slim chances of obtaining custody of their child.

2. Be Willing to Compromise and Co-Parent

When the court issues a custody order, the order will also have several orders regarding visitation for the non-custodial parent, child support, and much more. Generally, the court will only award custody to the parent who is more likely to abide by the orders of the court to ensure that the child’s best interest are carried out. That means, if you show the court that you can co-parent in a positive manner, you have a better chance at obtaining custody. If you are constantly causing trouble with the other parent, or if you refuse to let the other parent see the child, the court will not see you as the parent who should have custody.

3. Be Careful With Your Actions

One of the quickest ways to ruin your chances of obtaining custody is to commit domestic violence against the other parent or anyone else for that matter. Domestic violence is an issue that courts take very seriously. In fact, if you commit domestic violence, not only will you not be given custody, but you may only be given supervised visitation with your child.

Additionally, avoid posting negative thoughts or feelings about the other parent on your social media accounts. These posts can negatively impact your custody proceedings and decrease your chances of obtaining custody. Keep in mind, if you send any negative or vulgar text messages to the other parent, most likely, those messages will be used against you in court.

Lastly, never speak negatively about the other parent to your child or involve the child in any parental conflicts. Doing so can leave the court with a bad perception of you as a parent.

The Quander Law Firm PLLC | Houston Child Custody Attorneys

If you are considering obtaining custody of your child or have been served with custody papers, a Houston child custody attorney at the Quander Law Firm PLLC can guide you through the process. Contact the Quander Law Firm PLLC by calling (832) 930-7139 or submit your contact information through our online contact form. The Quander Law Firm PLLC handles child custody case in Harris County and the surrounding counties.