Keep your sanity during difficult times and child custody battles by following tips from our…
When a single parent ventures out into the dating scene, you must remember that this new person will be around your child(ren), which means your child(ren)’s other parent will be concerned about the details related to this individual.
The Basics of Child Custody and Dating after Divorce
Here are a few considerations from an experienced Raleigh divorce attorney, though not an exhaustive list:
- Does this person have a significant criminal past for violence, drugs or alcohol abuse?
- Has this person ever been incarcerated? If so what were the convictions and term of the sentence?
- Has this person ever had addiction issues?
- Has this person ever attended drug or alcohol rehabilitation?
- Has this person been involuntarily committed?
- Has this person been diagnosed with a mental health condition? Are they complying with the terms of their treatment?
- Is this person on probation or parole?
- Does this person currently use illegal drugs?
- Does this person have any limitations with regard to his or her custody (such as do they have to have supervised visitation with their own children), and if so why?
While it can be uncomfortable to ask a new person you have been on a few dates with these questions, you must understand that a good background check or research at the courthouse can easily uncover most of the information referenced above. Not to mention that social media can be a treasure trove of negative evidence as well, including videos and photographs of inappropriate behavior.
Child Custody Limitation On Dating
Another issue to be very aware of if whether or not your Child Custody Order or Agreement has any limitations on dating, such as overnight guests in which you are romantically involved while your child(ren) are in your care or introducing romantic partners to your children. It can be easy to get caught up with a new love after many years in a miserable marriage, but don’t let this keep you from being smart about your choices. Re-read any legal documents that govern issues of child custody to ensure you are not violating any court orders or breaching any agreements. If you are not sure, seek legal advice from an experienced Raleigh family law attorney to ensure you do not subject yourself to a potential action by your child(ren)’s parent for contempt of court, breach of contract or other legal actions related to child custody.
Child Custody & Dating Considerations
It is important to be sure that anyone you welcome into your life, and your child(ren)’s life, is done so after appropriate investigation and consideration as this person can potentially become an issue in any future child custody determination. Making wise and informed choices will save you a great deal of trouble in the future with issues of child custody. It is very important to be aware of any sort of negative issues in order to proactively address them prior to any court hearing, compared finding out about these issue after cross examination by opposing counsel. At that point not only does your significant other look bad, but your judgment also looks bad as well, which can be very harmful to your child custody case.
Raleigh Family Attorney's for Custody Rights
Our Raleigh family law attorneys are available to discuss any questions you have regarding dating and its impact on your child custody case. Please contact our office at 919-301-8843 to schedule for your family law consultation or complete the contact form below.
