Approaching child custody as a divorcing father

One of the most worrying aspects of divorce for fathers is how divorce could change the relationship that they have with their children. If you have been with your children almost every day since they were born, the prospect of spending the majority of your life away from them can seem inconceivable and heartbreaking.

While the process of divorce can bring about unexpected changes, it does not mean that you have to lose the relationship that you have with your children. The way that you approach child custody and divorce can have a huge impact on the result you will achieve. This is why it is important that you take action to plan your approach and create a strategy for the entire journey.

Decide what you want and fight for it

If you do not know what your preferred outcome is, you will not be able to effectively take action toward a goal. This is why it is a good idea to prioritize careful reflection and to think about a future scenario that you would be happy with.

Make it work practically

Once you have in mind an ideal situation, you should think about how to make it work practically. It is not enough to simply convince yourself that the child custody set-up would work. In addition, you will need to convince your divorcing spouse and, if necessary, the child custody courts. Being successful in this could involve drafting weekly schedules in detail, and creating arguments for why the proposed schedules would be in the best interests of your children.

Make sure that child custody and child support are separate conversations

You should never commingle conversations about your future relationships with your children and the financial aspects of child support. Attempting to do so will only give the wrong impression to both your ex and the child custody courts. The two conversations should be entirely separate from each other, and one factor should not influence the other.

If you are going through a divorce as a father in Georgia, it is important that you take early action to assert your rights. The earlier you take action, the more time you will have to create a compelling argument.