Know Your Child Custody Laws

Posted on July 26, 2013 by About The Children LLC — Leave a comment

How to avoid breaking custody laws

Fully understanding your custody court order is one of the main ways of avoiding breaking any custody laws. Make sure you read all the fine print and contact the courts or your attorney if you need any clarification.

Know your state’s custody laws. Each state has different laws and guidelines. Research and familiarize yourself with these laws so that you will know where the line is drawn and not to cross it. It is not worth the risk of crossing those lines and losing custody of your children. Don’t just assume that because you are the parent that you can alter these custody orders or laws. Once you have had the courts involved in issuing a court order, it is imperative that you follow it.

If an order of contempt is filed, there can be various consequences that range from fines to losing your custody rights. While this may seem cut and dry in writing, there will be times when you will question what to do in certain situations, such as a child not wanting to go with the other parent. It may break your heart to force them to go, however, while there is a court order in place, you and child must adhere to this order or you could find yourself ‘in contempt’. You will have to talk to your child and help them make the best of the situation if they are struggling with it. Communicate with the other parent as much as possible and try to help your child grasp that this is out of your hands and that any court order must be followed. It might be difficult for them to understand but if handled in the right way both parents can help the child adjust to their new lifestyle.

If on the other hand, the court ordered custody plan just isn’t working out and is not in fact in the best interest of the child, you can research whether it is wise to file for a ‘modification’ order. Keep in mind however, that the court will not change an order because little Johnny throws a fit every time he has to go to dad’s house. You will have to show the court that there are significant reasons for changing such an order. The burden of proof will be on you so document everything in trying to pursue such a matter.

Adjusting and adhering to a court order custody plan will take some effort but with the right attitude of both parents, you can avoid breaking any custody laws and help your kids take on these new challenges in their lives. If you find that you cannot deal with this alone, seek out local resources that will help your kids adjust so that you will not find yourself in a position of possibly breaking any custody laws. Whatever you do, never ignore a court order and take matters into your own hands. The courts take these custody orders and laws very seriously and the last thing that your child needs is for you to end up in jail. Use wisdom and follow the law!

Learn more at www.AboutTheChildren.org