Many parents wage a hard-fought war over child custody, and this conflict has many opportunities to continue well after a court hands down a custody order. Even if you obtain full or partial custody of your child after a divorce or separation from the child's other parent, there are still many things that threaten that custody. Be sure that you understand some of the behavior that may cause you to lose custody of the child you love.
What could cause me to lose custody of my child?
Who keeps the house in a divorce?
Divorces come in many shapes and sizes, varying greatly depending on the length of the relationship, the state where a couple resides, the assets the couple owns, and whether or not there are children in the marriage, among other things. Even in best-case scenarios, divorces are usually more complicated than the individuals seeking them might realize, and there are many potential setbacks on the road to finalizing the the dissolution of a marriage.
What if my child's other parent ignores our joint legal custody?
Sharing legal custody of a child between two parents is often a complicated and difficult experience. In many instances, one parent may use this situation to punish the other parent for personal conflicts, or simply choose to be unreasonable when it comes to compromising on child rearing issues where both parents do not agree.
Protect your marriage from money conflcts
Prenuptial agreements are not only useful in the event of a marriage falling apart, they can be exceptionally helpful for couples who come to the relationship with differing understandings of personal financial responsibility. In this way, a well-crafted prenuptial agreement can help two individuals create boundaries for each other so that the money-related disagreements that destroy many marriages never have to become an issue.
What records should I keep if I pay alimony?
If you are living with alimony payments, you owe it to yourself to maintain detailed, accurate records about all the alimony you pay. Depending on the nature of your alimony agreement, you can probably deduct those payments come tax time, when this documentation becomes exceptionally useful. Documentation can also help clarify the situation if you and the recipient of the alimony have a disagreement about your payments.
