Fathers Wanting Custody: 5 Things You Can Do to Help

Though the government rules and regulations with regard to UK family and parental laws are pretty simple on the surface, it is a whole other story if you’re caught in a legal custody battle! If you’re someone unfortunate enough to be going through the same, you’re probably well aware of the stress and sleeplessness that goes with it.

As a father, you probably love your children a lot – if you didn’t you wouldn’t be going through the hassle of a custody battle to begin with! One thing you need to be aware of however; is that you may have a lot of love for your children and they may well know it too, however, the judge does not! When it comes to court custody battles, you need to prove that love to a complete stranger in a sense beyond a doubt!

What Can You Do to Help?

We understand how frustrating the business of proving your love for your own kids to a third party may be. At the same time, whatever circumstances may have led to the situation, it is what it is and must be addressed such.

If you’re a father struggling for custody over your own children, here are some things you can to help turn things in your favor!

Bonding 

As any parent would know, parenting is a lot more than monetary support. It requires love, care, affection and the building of a bond between parent and child. For a parent this means taking out the time, being available, being supportive and showing up when needed.

Make sure you take out quality time for your child or children as often as you can. Negotiate agreeable terms with your ex partner and make sure you’re present at the time allotted to you. All the scheduling might seem strange in the beginning but trust us, it’s all for the best!

Payments

One of the things that comes into play with custody is how financially capable and responsible you are when it comes to supporting your kids. Financial capability and responsibility does not mean the one of fancy birthday present.

It means you need to make sure that you are taking on your part of the financial responsibility towards your children. One thing here is child support. Child support payments or lack of can really make or break a custody case. Make sure you are regular with these and stay on top of them at all times. If you make any and all child support payments your top priority, you’re already a step closer.

Respect

Your ex-partner or spouse may be on terrible terms with you. In all fairness, you may even resent each other. This being said, you cannot under any circumstances act out. We’re talking harassment, temper tantrums and even being pushy or rude.

You need to be the best version of yourself even if involves dealing with someone who has hurt and continues to hurt you. This is one of the things that will stand testimony to your maturity and ability to parent. Even if things are not going your way, make sure you keep things respectful and when out of court, always seek the path of least conflict!

Records and Organization

You might be an amazing human being but like we said, you need to prove you are both safe and fit to parent. Organization helps here. Make sure you are organized when it comes to paper work for yourself and your children. Further, keep records of your transactions with your ex, any kind of expenditure and anything else that might support your case in court.

The more you have by way of evidence, the stronger your case is. If the separation is already happening and your children are now at stake, it is no time for half measures or to go soft. It also helps to keep any and all communication with your ex on record just in case!

Prepare for the Positive

Don’t set yourself up for failure from the get go. Think positive and work towards the same. Even if your children are not yet living with you, keep your space conducive to when they do. Keep a separate fully furnished room dedicated to them for instance.

The way this will help is; if and when child services or court officers do pay a surprise visit to make sure you are the parent you claim to be, they won’t be disappointed!

Winding Down

We know custody cases are among the hardest for those involved. As a father, ask yourself if this is best for your children and if it is, by all means, find the right legal representation and give it all you’ve got!

If you need any kind of assistance, our company provides clients with highly qualified and specialized solicitors to help with everything from divorce and family law to injury claims and immigration in Wembley!