Sometimes a custody case can feel like a battle between spouses. However, it’s very important that the primary focus of a custody case is the needs of the child. Your family law attorney wants to know certain things about a child that can help the judge determine which parent has the resources and time to dedicate towards rearing a healthy and happy person.
Special Needs
If a child has a debilitating disability, then that’s something you might mention to your attorney first. Disabled children need specialized care, and even with insurance, medical bills for a disabled child can be difficult to manage. However, your family law attorney needs to know about outstanding behavioral factors too. For example, if your child has experienced a lot of stress or anxiety due to the divorce you experienced with your spouse, your attorney wants to know about that. Children are more susceptible to the mental and emotional toll of a divorce at specific ages, and if there is any reason to believe that the child will need mental health care at a later date, the attorney wants to factor that into the custody hearing.
Academics
If you’ve noticed a decline in the productivity of your child’s studies, mention it to your lawyer. Some children struggle with focusing on their school work after a divorce, and they may need assistance to help them learn to love and focus on school work again. This could involve after school programs and paying for a tutor. Family law attorneys and judges concentrate on the health and success of the child in custody cases, and they need to know if your child will require assistance to improve their academics after the divorce.
These are only two examples of things that a parent may not think to mention during a custody case. After a divorce, sometimes it’s difficult to thing of long-term care for a child. A custody case typically feels very frustrating or urgent, but it’s important to consider how your life, or the life of your child, may change years after the divorce.
If you want an empathetic attorney in the Naperville area, who will assist you will thinking of the long-term factors of divorce and custody, contact the Fitzgerald Law Firm, P.C. for a free consultation about the concerns you have for your custody case.
