Protecting your parental rights should be one of your top priorities when going through a divorce. Even if things did not work out between you and your ex, you should do all that you can to ensure that your children do not suffer for it. Retaining the services of a world-class Divorce Attorney will give you the means to protect access to your kids.
Shared Custody
If you have arranged to share custody of your children with your ex, the two of you must work to put aside your differences for the sake of the children. You will both make new lives for yourselves and so coordination and compromise will be essential. Some sacrifice may even be required. If your ex has entered a new relationship with a person who has children of their own and you have done the same, then you may have to reconcile a range of competing interests and schedules to make things work. This can be especially difficult to do during the holidays when everyone wants to be with those they love. To keep the peace, you should try to be as flexible as you can. If you sense that your generosity is being abused, then you may need to renegotiate your custody agreement and bring your lawyer in for assistance.
What Your Ex Cannot Do
Minor adjustments to scheduled time with your children are permissible. However, if your ex wants to move out of state with your children, then you must prepare for a fight. If they have decided to sue for sole custody of your kids, then you must ready yourself for a battle. If they decide to make some other move that denies you access to your children, then you should involve your lawyer straightaway.
The law is clear on this matter. Your ex cannot take your kids any distance that makes it extremely difficult for you to see them on a regular basis. At least, this cannot be done without your permission. And the only way that you can be denied shared custody of your children is if you have abused them, abused drugs or alcohol, live in an environment which is deemed unsafe, or have been sentenced to life in prison.
Defending Your Rights
Divorce can make people vindictive and unbalanced. The things your ex is capable of doing may surprise you. In order to get their own way, they may accuse you of being a bad influence on your kids or a danger to them. You may even have to go to court to fight these charges and to stop your ex from taking your children away. The most important thing is to keep your cool. You should allow your attorney to do the work of defending your parental rights.
If you are innocent of the acts your ex has accused you of, your attorney will ensure that you are cleared of such charges. They will do what is necessary to preserve the custody status agreed at the time of the divorce.