Parents in Washington and around the country will in almost every case be granted custody rights to their children after a divorce. Even if they are not awarded physical custody of a son or daughter, they will still be given the opportunity to spend time with their child. As a general rule, children tend to do better when they have relationships with as many family members as possible.
Don’t treat your kids differently
It may be tempting to treat your kids differently in an effort to help them deal with the trauma of your divorce. However, it’s important that your kids abide by a clear set of rules that are enforced by both parents. It’s also important that you follow through with any consequences that are supposed to be imposed for violating these rules. Doing so helps children understand what is expected of them and reduces the chances that they’ll act inappropriately.
Parental rights don’t need to be split down the middle
You may love the thought of having your children roughly 180 days per year. However, there is a chance that you’ll have to settle for less than equal parenting time when negotiating a child custody or visitation schedule. This may be true if you live far away from your kid, work irregular hours or otherwise aren’t capable of providing for a minor on a full-time basis.
An attorney may be able to help you obtain custody of your children after a divorce by using medical records, testimony from a child’s teacher or other evidence to show that you are capable of raising them. Depending on your son or daughter’s age, the judge in your case may seek their input prior to crafting a custody order.
