If you are facing a divorce that involves children, your child custody arrangements are naturally an important concern. While negotiating these terms is certain to be emotionally fraught, some situations are far more complicated – and serious – than others. In fact, there are at least five distinct signs that you should not wait to consult with a dedicated Copperas Cove child custody attorney.
One: Your Children’s Safety Is in Jeopardy
If you legitimately believe that your children are not safe when they are with their other parent, make the call to an experienced child custody attorney right now. The emotional stress of divorce can push people to do things they normally would not, and if your divorcing spouse is displaying signs that he or she is not reacting well, you should make it your policy to err on the side of caution. Further, if your children have already experienced abuse of any kind at the hand of their other parent, the matter is far too important to put off. Such abuse can include any of the following:
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect or maltreatment
Related: What Factors are Considered in Copperas Cove Child Custody Cases?
Two: Your Divorcing Spouse Is Keeping Your Children from You
While your divorce is pending, you and your divorcing spouse retain the right to continue seeing your children according to your own schedules and whatever agreement you come up with (or according to temporary orders issued by the court). If your soon-to-be-ex is keeping your shared children from you – or is attempting to do so – the time for negotiating a schedule in good faith between yourselves has come and gone. You need the professional legal counsel of an experienced child custody attorney protecting your parental rights.
Three: Your Divorcing Spouse Is Waffling
If you hammered out a parenting schedule with your soon-to-be-ex last week, and this week, he or she is already seeking a significant change, it does not bode well for how your negotiations are likely to proceed, and working closely with an experienced child custody attorney is well-advised.
Four: Your Case Crosses Jurisdictions
If your child custody case involves two different Texas counties, two different states, or even two different countries, it makes a very complicated matter that much more so, and you should not proceed without an experienced child custody attorney backing you up.
Five: There Are other Complicating Factors
Even in the most straightforward divorces in which both spouses negotiate in good faith for child custody terms that support their own and their children’s best interests, child custody issues can become very heated very quickly. If any of the following complicating factors apply, however, you can expect the heat to crank up several notches:
You have a child with special needs
You are both focused on becoming the primary custodial parent
Your divorcing spouse is more interested in creating turmoil than in hammering out terms that serve your children’s needs
Your spouse refuses to adhere to the temporary child custody orders handed down by the court
Discuss Your Concerns with an Experienced Copperas Cove Divorce Attorney Today
Brett Pritchard atThe Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Copperas Cove, Texas, is a compassionate divorce attorney who is on your side and ready to help. To learn more, please do not wait to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 today.
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