Discussions You Should Have With Your Child During an Orlando Custody Battle

Effective communication with your children is crucial during a custody battle in Orlando. With a few careful conversations, you can improve both your child’s mental health and your own chances of success during this legal process. While finding the right words might seem challenging, your child deserves an honest and open conversation about the path ahead. Where do you begin?

Reaffirm Your Love for Your Children 

One of the first things you should tell your child is also the simplest thing you can communicate to them: Tell them you love them. Not only that, but tell your child that no matter what happens in the future, you will continue to love them.

Let Your Child Know They Can Choose What Happens Next

One of the most difficult things about going through a divorce is the lack of control the entire family feels. It may help to return a sense of control to your children by telling them they can decide what happens next. This may only apply to children of a certain age and mental maturity, as judges may consider their preferences when it comes to custody.

The main goal of this discussion is to show your child that even if they choose to live with your ex instead of you, you will still love them. One of the most common mistakes for parents is to pressure their children to make certain decisions during custody battles. Not only does this put your children in an incredibly difficult spot psychologically, but the family court could interpret it as “parental alienation.” In other words, this could damage your chances of positive outcomes during the custody battle.

Change the Subject to Something Your Child Wants to Talk About

A discussion during divorce does not necessarily need to focus on the divorce itself. This might be a painful subject for your child, and while dodging the issue doesn’t make sense, you can always change the subject to something more comfortable.

Ask your child how school is going. If they play sports, ask them how their latest match went. Ask about their friends, their hobbies, their latest art project, or anything else that might lighten the mood.

Aside from helping your child remain optimistic, these discussions also give you an advantage in the upcoming custody battle. The more you know about your child’s hobbies, education, and friends, the better your chances of success will be. The court will see that you are extremely knowledgeable about your child, and it will reflect well on your suitability for primary or shared custody. 

Can a Child Custody Lawyer in Orlando Help Me? 

While choosing the right words requires careful thought about child psychology and your family’s unique circumstances, the legal aspects of your care are generally more clear-cut. While you handle the process of parenting and guiding your child through this process, your child time sharing lawyer in Orlando can handle the custody case. Contact Steve Marsee, P.A. today to learn more about the next steps.

Source:

allagainstabuse.org/how-to-offer-support-to-children-during-a-custody-battle/