After divorce, child custody becomes a complicated issue. It’s essential to look for legal support, especially if you live in New York, to ensure your rights as parents and your child’s rights are protected. With every parent trying to get the child’s custody, it can trigger a lot of emotions and misunderstandings. A reputable and experienced child custody lawyer can help you get the best results as they will advise you on key things. You must research a New York attorney to connect to the best child custody lawyer to represent you in court. Below we will outline ways a child custody lawyer can help you with your case.
1. They Will Inform You About Your Rights
When you divorce, there is a lot you were not anticipating, such as having to case on child support. It’s essential to know your rights to understand your legal position. A child custody lawyer will explain your rights regarding your kids and what you can do to file for child custody. Further, they will give you accurate information on what the court considers when determining the custody issue. This will help you navigate through the child custody process. You will know what is expected of you and how to behave during the process.
2. Creating a Legal Strategy
To win a custody case, you need to prove that you will work in the child’s best interest. The court has to be convinced that giving you custody of the child will grant them security and better life. Trying to prove this on your own can be difficult as your former partner will also try to present the same. So, an excellent reputable lawyer will help you prepare a petition with evidence that aligns with the court to prove that your request works in the court’s best interest. The pertinent evidence can include the suitability of the home environment, an older child’s wishes, or proof of an emotional bond between parent and child.
3. Help Coordinate Your Case with Other Professionals
With the two of you trying to win the custodian of the children, your partner can raise accusations of substance abuse and mistreatment of a child. Your lawyer can help to protect your interest and to prove otherwise. You may request the help of other professionals, such as independent child testimony or private investigations, to give evidence. You must prove you don’t abuse drugs and your relationship with your child to win the case. That is why you need an experienced and reputable lawyer to guide you and help you reach all the resources you might need.
4. Represent You in Court
When you are having disputes about child custody, you might need to present evidence and follow all the court procedures. A good lawyer will guide you to collect viable evidence that will help you save time. The lawyer will appear in court and may give the judges information that will influence their decision to favor you. Having a lawyer ensures you present factors that the judges will be weighing.
5. Give You Emotional Support
Divorce involves a lot of emotions and can lead to stress and depression. A lawyer will give you unbiased advice, support you emotionally, and help prevent you from making wrong decisions, especially when you are angry. They will give you the opinions available according to the law, which will help broaden your perspective. This will help reduce your exposure to arbitrary court custody rulings.
6. Estimate the Child Support Payments
Child custody support payments involve a lot of factors. Most often, the parent with full custody will not pay anything, while the other will be expected to pay. Some factors include the gross income for both parents, overnight time with a parent, and credits to those who pay health insurance bills and child care. Having a lawyer will ensure you get fair and accurate child support calculations. With excellent legal representation, you can expose hidden income and ensure you adjust your income accordingly.
7. Help to Pursue Child Custody Modification
When a court judges the child custody case, it is hard to alter without violating it. Different reasons can lead to the need to change the custody arrangement. To do this successfully, you need to involve an attorney to help you write a petition following the legal standards.
End Note!
The above are reasons why you need to hire a child custody lawyer. Ensure you choose a reputable, experienced lawyer to help you fill out a petition.