As much as you may want to call out your spouse for their behavior or find some form of revenge for them, these actions will NOT be in your best interest or the best interest of your child(ren). In our experience, avoiding these five things can put you on track to achieving the best possible outcome in your child custody case and help you move forward in your life.
1. Talk to your child about the details of your custody litigation or say nasty things to your child about the opposing party.
This is not good for your child and only makes them feel anxious and puts them in the middle. Also, the court may end up talking to your child in your custody case and, if they do and they learn that you are telling them these kinds of things, it will look poorly on you.
2. Send angry or profane text messages, emails, or voicemails to the opposing party.
These will almost certainly come back to bite you in court and you will look terrible. A good rule of thumb is to wait 24 hours before responding to anything that triggers you and, even then, review it five times before sending.
3. Save the opposing party’s name in your phone or email with a nasty nickname like “JackA$$” or “Narcissistic Nancy.”
The other party may be a Jacka$$ or a narcissist, but these text messages and emails are almost always presented in court and they only serve to make you look like the bad guy.
4. Send your attorney 100 text messages the night before your custody conference, hearing, or trial.
Your attorney and their team are preparing for your case. Sending them vast quantities of documents to review at the last minute means you are distracting them from that crucial preparation.
5. Post anything about your custody case on social media.
This will almost certainly come back to bite you in court. A mutual friend will see it, take a screenshot, and send it to the opposing party who will promptly turn it over to their attorney. It may seem like some kind of sweet, quick, internet justice to post something negative, but just don’t do it. It’s not worth it.
At Potts, Shoemaker, and Grossman, LLC, our experienced attorneys are prepared to assist you in your unique situation and find the best solutions for your case. To schedule a confidential consultation, contact us at (610) 840-2626.