James R. Balmforth: Reasons Parents Lose Custody of Their Children

Although most laws are designed to help divorced parents maintain a healthy relationship with their children, there are times when some issues may disqualify divorcees from having legal custody of their kids. Most of these cases involve allegations related to child abuse or neglect. However, some allegations could be false statements from a contentious former spouse. If you are dealing with a child custody matter is best you contact a Salt Lake City child custody attorney to discuss your legal options.

THE PROCESS

The process generally starts with one of the parents notifying the court about his or her concern involving a former spouse or parent of the children. Evidence must be provided otherwise the allegations of abuse are not valid. If the judge determines the behavior is a threat to the child’s safety, an investigation will take place. An investigator may take a look at the circumstances surrounding the allegations and decide whether or not the allegations are true.

CHILD ABUSE

This is a common reason why some parents may lose the custody of their children. The court will see if there is a history of child abuse. Some factors that help the judge determine if there was child abuse include scars, bruises, marks, and cuts. Whether it was initiated by anger or inappropriate behavior, child abuse will definitely cause the parents lose custody of their children. If you suspect your former spouse has abused your child, notify the police and contact Salt Lake City child custody attorney.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

There are cases that don’t involve child abuse yet if the child witnessed child abuse against the other parent during the last 5 years; the court may deny sole child custody. A history of abuse will be considered when making custody decisions. Granting custody to an abusive parent is not in the child’s best interest.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

Courts will also take a look at other factors such as the use of controlled substances. The habitual use of drugs or alcohol by either parent is detrimental to the interests and safety of the kids, therefore, the parent addicted to these substances can’t be trusted with raising the children.

VIOLATING A COURT ORDER

Parents should respect custody orders. Doing otherwise may result in a parent losing custody. Although it’s all based on how the order was written, violating the order doesn’t help advance the case. Some cases involving joint custody, for example, require both parents making important decisions about the child. If one of the parents fails to consult the other parent before making an important decision, the custody order could be modified and the parent may lose custody.

PARENTAL ALIENATION AND CO-PARENTING

When one of the parents is manipulative and he or she uses these tactics to alienate the children from his or her former spouse, there is a chance he or she will lose the custody. Co-parenting is sometimes the best option in some scenarios as it allows parents that can’t get along to follow a strict joint custody schedule.

PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN FROM PARENTAL ALIENATION

It is natural for children whose parents live apart to want to spend more time with them. Most children feel that they will not be able to spend enough time with mom and dad after divorce. Custodial parents generally have less time for the children due to the many responsibilities they have and non-custodial parents aren’t around as much as they used to. In the midst of all this chaos, some parents may take advantage of the situation and manipulate their children into fearing or expressing hostility towards their former spouses. This is when parental alienation takes place. A child may reject one parent following a harshly contested divorce. These cases generally require the intervention of a Salt Lake City divorce attorney. Several problems may arise that only an experienced attorney is equipped to handle.

Divorce can be one of the most frightening experiences for children since their lives may change dramatically after their parents decide to go separate ways. They have to adapt to a new family structure they do not like yet they have no control over it. Children need the love and care of both parents when growing up. Unfortunately, some parents don’t understand this and they choose to involve their children in a harsh divorce battle. It is a way to harm a former spouse by taking the children from them.

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN?

Let’s start by taking a closer look at the common signs of parental alienation:

The child avoids contact with the targeted parent for no particular reason.
The targeted parent is constantly being accused of wrongdoing.
The child says inappropriate things for their age.
The child feels confident about the rude behavior.
The child insists that it is their decision to no longer spend time with the targeted parent.
The child may also refuse to no longer be with the family of the targeted family.

DEALING WITH PARENTAL ALIENATION

It all depends on your child’s age and your relationship with them. If you still communicate with your children, there are some steps you can take to stop the alienation:

Don’t talk bad about your former spouse in front of your children.
Don’t act like the other parent or imitate the alienating behavior.
Reassure your children that you will always love them and care for them no matter what.
Don’t blame your children.
Remind your children of the great times you had together.
Respect your visitation schedule.
Talk to aSalt Lake City divorce attorney to help you combat parental alienation.

Free Initial Consultation with Family Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.