Preparing For a Child Custody Hearing
Going to court for the issue of child custody
can be an extremely emotional and difficult experience. The following describes some helpful tips to keep in mind when preparing for your child custody hearing.
Provide the Court with Evidence of a Parent/Child Relationship
During a child custody hearing, your goal is to paint a picture for the Family Court Judge that you are a fit and proper person to care for your child/children, and that having custody would be in the children’s best interests.
Providing your own testimony as to your capabilities as a parent is always helpful, but there are several other devices you can use to assist you in painting this picture for the Judge. You should work diligently on gathering evidence that would be helpful in building your case.
Items that can serve as useful evidence in a custody hearing are things such as:
- Photo albums or photographs
- of your child/children spending time together
- your child/children’s rooms in the place you live
- you and your child/children participating in sports and extracurricular activities
- and you and your child/children having fun on family vacations/outings
- Ticket stubs or other memorabilia from events you have attended with you child/children,
Also, provide items that demonstrate your ability to parent your child/children and that it is in his or her (or their) best interests such as:
- awards
- chore charts
- family calendars
Also try to gather documents such as:
- your child/children’s report cards
- progress reports
- and other communications from your child’s school that may be relevant to your case.
The key is to remember that you are trying to bring your relationship with your child/children “to life” for the Judge, and to try and find evidence that will accomplish this goal.
The best strategy is to collect your evidence and disclose it to your attorney as far ahead of your hearing as possible so that your attorney can help you select the best exhibits and work on presenting them in the most effective manner prior to your court date.
Potential Character Witnesses for Your Child Custody Case
Think of a list of potential witnesses that can testify to your parenting abilities and relationship with your child/children. Provide the witnesses’ contact information to your attorney and explain to your attorney how you know the witnesses you are proposing. When choosing potential witnesses for an upcoming custody hearing, it is always important for you to carefully consider what he or she would say about you and your child/children on the stand. You should provide your attorney with a list of any potential witnesses as soon as possible in case your attorney needs to send them a subpoena to appear.
Finally, when preparing for a child custody hearing, the most helpful thing of all for you to have is a knowledgeable family law attorney on your side.
Consult with a Raleigh Divorce Attorney about Your Child Hearing Case
Working with an experienced family law attorney can be the best choice to receive a positive outcome for your custody hearing. Call The Doyle Law Group, P.A. today at (919) 301-8843 or complete the form below to schedule an initial consultation with one of our family law attorneys.
