No one is perfect and, during a time when emotions are running high and everyone is under a lot of pressure and stress, mistakes can happen. However, it is crucial to remember that some mistakes can alter the course of your divorce and ultimately impact your settlement, custody, and visitation rights.
If you are a father, here are some common mistakes you should be aware of, which you must try to avoid as you continue to move forward in this process:
- Your children are not a priority: Divorce is tough and you might end up fixating on ending your marriage while keeping the peace rather than on your children. This is a pretty big mistake to make. Sure, keeping the peace is important, especially since having a cooperative relationship as co-parents will make a big difference in your children’s lives, but your children need your attention. Maintaining frequent and regular contact with your children will not only nurture your bond with them, but also help you secure equal time with your children.
- You use your children as leverage: Children should never be used as pawns or leverage in your battle with your ex. Unfortunately, some use them as leverage for child support, forcing their spouse into lengthy and pricey court battles to increase custody, visitation, and to decrease child support payments. If you are more interested in decreasing your child support payments than you are in your children, chances are you are not going to value the time you are awarded with them. If your intentions are not in the right place, it will likely catch up with you and your ex might have more ground to stand on.
- You do not pay child support: Some fathers might stop paying child support simply because they resent having to give the money to their ex, but more often than not, many stop making payments because they cannot afford to. If you lost your job, or your financial circumstances changed in some way, do not just stop paying child support. Submit a modification request to the court to have your payments reduced. The court understands that things change and you might not be able to afford the payments you once made, but they will not be understanding if you straight-up stop paying without making this request.
- You left the family home: It might seem like the right thing to do in the midst of a divorce, but if you want to maintain custody, do not leave the family home without having a temporary agreement in place. It will look like you are abandoning your family or uninterested in being part of your children’s lives.
Family Law Attorney in Florida
At the law office of Ami L. DiLorenzo, P.A., our Ocala family law attorneys are skilled in handling a broad spectrum of family law issues. Regardless of your concerns, you can reach out to us for the straightforward answers you deserve to your legal questions.
Contact us today for a consultation at (352) 437-2200.