The Adoption Process

When you are divorced and have children, you may have to change the custody arrangements you have already put in place with your former spouse. If that happens, you need to make sure that you have a good attorney. You also need to make sure that you are doing everything you can to help yourself to be better equipped to fight for the custody arrangement you want to have. There are several things that you can do to help yourself. 

Document Everything

One of the most important things you can do to help yourself in your custody case is to document everything. That means every phone call, text message, email, and interaction between you and your former spouse. Save any texts, voicemails, and emails. You don't necessarily have to listen to them or read them; you can arrange to have them sent to a special folder so that you have them, but you don't have to know what they say. If your ex has someone else interact with you on their behalf, like a family member, document that as well. You should also get a notebook that you can use as a journal that you can use to write down dates and times of when you see your ex or when your children see your ex, as well as a brief description of what happened. You may think that you are gathering too much documentation, but in this case, it is truly better to have too much than too little. You want to make sure that your attorney has more than enough to work with. 

Follow Current Custody Arrangements

It may seem counterintuitive to follow the current arrangements if you are trying to get more custody of your children. Still, you want to show that you are willing to follow everything that a judge has already ordered. If you show that you are going to follow custody orders, the judge will be more likely to listen to your requests. There is an exception to this. That exception is if following the arrangements as they currently stand will put your children or yourself in danger. In that case, you need to talk to your attorney to see what you can do immediately to guarantee your family's safety. 

If you are trying to adjust your custody agreement, you need to make sure that you are working with a good attorney. You also need to make sure that you give them some weaponry to help you.  

To learn more, contact a child custody lawyer.