Child Custody Lawyer Knoxville TN
Most lawyers call it “fighting over the kids.” At Held Law Firm, we call it “fighting for the kids.”
Custody cases are the most important thing we do. In a custody case, our job is not just to win your best case, but to win the best case for your kids. Nothing requires more creative problem solving, and honor to your highest and best self than deciding what’s best for your kids.
“This past summer, after having custody of my kids unfairly taken away, Margaret won them back for me.”
Advice from an experienced child custody attorney is never more important. Your child custody attorney must advise you as to what we think the Court would do, but also about different custody arrangements that have worked for other families. Here are some things to consider during a custody case:
Judges seek to “maximize the participation of both parents.”
Judges are supposed to “maximize the participation of both parents in the life of the child.” Of course, maximized participation does not necessarily mean equal time. All parents know that just spending time in the same house with your kids is not “participating” in their life; an hour cheering them on at their game is worth more than countless hours with them shut in their room playing a video game. It’s quality time, not quantity, that counts.
Your role at home is important.
In most families, one or the other parent has done at least a little more of the parenting job. If that person was you, here is your time to shine, to celebrate what a great parent you’ve been all these years. If your job in the marriage kept you from exercising as much of the time, here’s your chance to make a change, to find the balance in your life you didn’t have before, and to become the parent you’ve always wanted to be.
Talk yourself up, without putting the other parent down.
It is critical in court to build you up as a parent and to avoid focusing on cutting the other parent down. Kids need both parents, and Judges do not respect any parent who attacks the other. Here again, we see that the best divorce is a positive divorce, focusing on your strengths, not the other side’s failures. Judges notice and reward a positive attitude, especially when it comes to your kids.
Parenting Plans can be followed strictly, or not.
The final product of a custody case is called a Permanent Parenting Plan. It is a roughly nine-page document that spells out, specifically, who gets the children on which days and times, how the children will be exchanged, how they will be financially supported, how decisions regarding their care will be made, and detailing basic, mandatory ground rules for how the parents are going to communicate and treat each other.
Contact us today to schedule your case assessment
Interestingly, the best parents rarely follow the Parenting Plan strictly. They accommodate one another’s requests for special time or special consideration. But if the parents don’t agree, the Parenting Plan governs. It is a tool for resolving disputes over the kids without having to run back to court.
Resources:
Permanent Parenting Plan Order: Click Here to View PDF
Child Support Worksheet: Click Here to Download Spreadsheet