Family Law

Tips to Help Foster Positive Relationships Between Separated Parents and Their Children

By J. Benjamin Stevens

The primary factor that the Family Court considers in child custody cases in South Carolina is "what's in the best interest of the child."  One thing that is almost always in the child's best interest is for the parents to work well together, or at least attempt to do so.

The following tips can help foster a positive relationship between your children and the other parent:

• Any disputes you have with the other parent should be out of earshot of your children.
• Do not disparage the other parent in front of the children, and tell your family not to do so either.
• Try to be cooperative and flexible regarding parent child contact.
• Try to work out issues regarding the children, such as house rules and after school activities, with the children's other parent; and then present a united front, if possible regarding the issues.
• If custody is going to be contested, be prepared to offer a reasonable parent child contact schedule to the court. The parent who offers a more generous parent child contact schedule to the other parent often has a better chance of obtaining custody, all other things being equal.
• Be prepared to testify about the other party's good parenting qualities.
• In your testimony, focus on the children and their needs, not on your grievances with the other parent.

Source:  "Major Mistake to Avoid in Custody Disputes" by Deborah T. Bucknam, published at the Vermont Family Law blog.
 

Full post as published by SC Family Law Blog on March 17, 2010 (boomark / email).