Clients often ask our Dallas family law firm: “How do I prove to the court that I’m the better parent?”
When dealing with child custody issues, I encourage my clients to keep in mind that the court will focus on what’s best for your children, not about which parent “wins” or “loses.” So I would reframe the question — perhaps “How can I show the court that I’ve been a great parent?” may be a better choice of words.
You should work with your lawyer to determine a strategy and approach that meets your objectives. At Alexandra Geczi, PLLC, we often ask our clients to maintain calendars, logs, emails, journals, etc. to reflect a variety of factors that a court would look at to determine which parent might have the exclusive right to designate a child’s residence. We’ve listed a few of the factors a court may look at in a child custody case below.
10 Factors Courts May Look at When Determining Child Custody
- The degree to which each parent supports or undermines the other parent’s relationship or involvement with the child.
- Which party has been the primary caretaker of the child.
- The quality of the relationships between each parent and the child — does the child turn to one parent more often than the other for comfort or guidance?
- Work schedules and each parent’s available time for the child.
- Potential changes that may occur after the divorce.
- Whether child care may be needed by one or both parents.
- Each parent’s plans for the child, including home environment, educational needs, and other developmental needs.
- The physical health of each parent.
- The mental well being of each parent. (Note: the fact that a parent may have a diagnosed mental health condition is not in and of itself a reason to keep that parent from having primary custody or visitation rights.)
- The physical and mental health of the child, and which parent can better accommodate any special needs.
This list is not exhaustive, and there may be other factors courts look at.
This list is not exhaustive, and there may be other factors courts look at. To learn more about the child custody process and to invest in a team that will work to help you achieve the best possible outcome, contact Alexandra Geczi, PLLC! We’ll schedule a free case evaluation as soon as possible to determine how our Dallas family law firm might be able to help you.