Divorce is a trying time for everybody involved. There is tension and a lot of uncertainty. Children are certainly the most affected by the fallout when parents split up. Custody battles can often drag on and nobody is really sure what the outcome is going to be. 

The best thing is for a quick custody proceeding to happen so everybody can move on and start over with their new lives and routine. The way to go about this is to be prepared for a custody battle so that you can win sole custody without going through a prolonged process. In this article, we will go over several of the things you should be doing to make sure that you win your case. 

1. Document Everything

A judge will use a lot of evidence to determine who should get custody of the child. One thing that the judge will need to evaluate is what the child’s life is going to be like when the divorce is final and they would be living with you full time. 

This means that you have to document everything down to the smallest detail. Have a sort of diary going that you can then give to your Edmonton family law firm so they can help you with your argument that you deserve full custody. 

Have an outline of what the day is going to be like from when you will be bringing the child to school or the bus stop and when you’re home with them. Detail if you will be home when they get out of school as this will look very good to a judge that you aren’t taking on custody when you aren’t going to be home much. 

Let them know how you spend time together and even do things on weekends. Make sure to also highlight when they see their grandparents and other relatives as this will help establish that they will continue normal relations with the family. 

2. Be Prepared Financially

It is likely to be a costly battle if the other parent is not looking to cede their right to sole custody or at least have partial custody. If they decide to fight then this could be quite expensive. 

You’ll need to make sure that you have the money to see the process through between lawyer fees, missed work, and other expenses. 

There will also be the cost of moving if you aren’t going to be staying in the same house. Part of the custody proceedings will hinge on where you will be living so getting the best house you can in a good area close to school and relatives is essential. It will cost money for the move and the money needed to put up if you are buying but also if you are going to a rental. 

3. Show the Benefit of Being the Sole Guardian

If your spouse was abusive to you or your child then you should make sure to clarify that it would be detrimental for your child to be raised by that type of person. Judges are honestly looking to do what’s best for the child and putting them in the care of abusive parents is not their goal. 

You’ll need evidence of any type of negative behavior such as any police reports if you called in a domestic violence report. If they have a gambling or drinking problem then present evidence of such and how it impacted your family. 

At the same time, if there isn’t a clear case of the other parent being neglectful, or abusive but you are clearly the better parent then try to highlight some areas in which you are going to be the one that will do a better job. It could be because you have a better support network or make enough money to provide for your child while your ex does not. 

4. Keep Your Cool

Tensions will surely be running high and you will be on edge, stressed, and tired. However, don’t make it easy for them to push your buttons and make you lose your cool. Even when things get heated you need to show that you are calm under pressure so that shows that you are the better parent and deserve full custody. 

If you lose your temper in front of a judge this will look very unfavorably for you. They might question if you are actually the better parent for your child.