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3 common custody worries parents have when considering divorce

On Behalf of | Mar 25, 2022 | Divorce, Family Law

Divorce means big changes for your entire family and your daily life. Inevitably, if you share children with your spouse, there will be concerns about what the change in your relationship might mean for the relationship with your children.

Many parents who put off filing for divorce for months and lay awake unable to sleep at night after filing eventually realize that their worst fears were nothing more than anxiety. When you understand how the Georgia family courts approach custody matters, you won’t have to let these concerns dominate your decision-making.

What are custody worries that prevent people from filing for divorce?

Their ex will cut them off from the kids

It is common for one parent to spend substantially more time with the children than the other, and a parent who has had less time with the children will naturally worry that their ex will get full custody and they will get nothing in a divorce.

However, the goal of custody proceedings is for the courts to uphold the best interest of the children. They want you and your ex to both be present and actively involved with the children because that is what will be best for the kids. If one spouse intentionally tries to interfere in the relationship the other has with the children, their actions could affect their custody rights negatively.

The children won’t want to live with them

If you have always had to be the one to enforce the rules but your ex is the one who likes to secretly break them to bond with the kids, you may worry that your ex’s behavior will impact your children’s preferences in the divorce.

Even if your children do make a statement to the court or the judge about their personal preferences, those requests will only be one of many factors that the judge will have to consider when splitting up custody until your children turn 14. Even during their teen years, kids are more reticent than you might think to sever the relationship with either of their parents.

They won’t have what it takes to parent alone

Parenting is a constant challenge, even when a married couple tries to share those responsibilities. When you divorce, you will have the children by yourself, putting a lot of pressure on you to be present and engaged with your children.

The good news is that even previously uninvolved parents learn quickly after a divorce and step up into their role well in most cases. Correcting any misconceptions that you have about custody matters can help you feel confident about your changing family.