I Spent More Time With the Kids During Marriage: Will I Get Custody in Atlanta?

Family courts in Atlanta consider numerous “best interest factors” when determining child custody. Among other things, judges may consider the amount of time a parent has spent with their children during the marriage. But is this the only thing you need to worry about as you approach a custody battle? Does spending more time with the kids automatically mean you’ll gain custody? These are questions you might want to explore with an experienced family law attorney in Atlanta.

Family Courts Consider the Bond Shared Between Parent and Child

Family courts do not simply consider the amount of time the child has spent with a parent over the course of a marriage or relationship. Instead, they consider the bond shared between the parent and child. The love and affection in this relationship may be much more important than the amount of time shared each day.

For example, a stay-at-home parent might have spent much more time with a child during a marriage. However, this parent may have been abusive or neglectful toward the child. In contrast, the parent working full-time may have come home each day and enjoyed a healthy, caring relationship with their child. In this situation, the parent who spent more time with their child would not necessarily achieve better custody results.

That being said, a parent who spends more time with the child generally has more opportunities to form loving bonds. They also have more time to learn about their child’s unique personality, needs, and interests. Parents who can demonstrate a greater understanding of these factors may have a better chance of positive custody results.

The Danger of Trying to Spend Too Much Time With Your Children

Based on this information, you might try to spend as much time as possible with your children before the final divorce decree or the final custody order. However, this could prove to be problematic. If you try to prevent your child from spending time with the other parent, you could face serious legal consequences. Temporary parenting schedules could be enforced, and the court may look upon your actions as “parental alienation.”

If you’re serious about pursuing positive custody results, it’s important that you allow your child to maintain a healthy relationship with the other parent. In fact, you might even want to encourage this relationship in order to experience positive custody outcomes yourself. This is another “best interest factor” considered by family courts in Atlanta.

Can a Family Law Attorney in Atlanta Help Me Gain Custody?

A family law attorney in Atlanta may be able to help you pursue positive results during a custody battle. While spending more time with the children could prove advantageous in this situation, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll gain primary custody. You also need to consider a range of other best interest factors, and a family law attorney in Georgia can help you review these factors. Continue this conversation with Buckhead Family Law today.

Source: 

georgia.gov/file-child-custody