Your dating life can change the way your custody arrangement is going and many parents do not realize this. The person you bring into your life is also subsequently brought into the lives of your children even if you do not introduce them to each other. Even though you may feel it is not your exes business who you seeing, how your child is affected by this choice is their business. If for example you are dating a drug dealer, the child may be exposed to drugs or the parent may find some legal trouble for being closely involved with the drug dealer even if they are not selling or using themselves. The child could lose a parent to drug charges or other drug related issues. A Westlake Village child custody attorney should be contacted when your exes dating life seems to be detrimental to the child.
Shockingly, your dating history can be taken into account by a judge in some circumstances. Having dated individuals with a criminal record in the past can be seen as a sign of poor judgment and can be used against the parent in court. While dating someone stable can have the opposite outcome. The court is only concerned with the child’s well being and care. No one is trying to judge you or tell you who you should be seeing but being with the wrong person can place restrictions on how often you can see your child. When dating is getting in the way of being there for your child for their life activities like sports, the other parent can use your absence to help them gain more custody and time with the child. You need to always make an effort and show up for your child. Many relationships do not end on the best of terms but you should never talk down about the other parent. The judge needs to see that the relationship is encouraged and that the parents are not trying to bring each other down. This can be even more detrimental if the bad mouthing stems from being with a new partner.
Child custody is a very serious issue and should not be handled lightly. Every decision you make in your life will have an impact on your child and will, unfortunately, be used in court to determine how much time you will be able to spend with them. Your significant other will be scrutinized as well even if you keep them out of your child’s life. Dating is a new adventure and it takes some time to find the right person. Children do not need to be introduced to every date. Some custody arrangements require the parent to keep the children away from their new partner for a minimum of six months so that the child does not see a revolving door of people entering and leaving their home. Co-parenting is difficult and no one needs to be judging or telling the other parent what to do with their lives so long as it does not impact the child. If you feel that custody needs to be reexamined contact a Westlake Village child custody attorney for an initial consultation.
