This is how you can win full custody in Jacksonville

Jacksonville, FL – If you want to get full custody of your child after a divorce, you need to prepare yourself for a fight. In most cases, the other parent will respond in kind, so expect low blows and a lot of airing of the family’s dirty laundry in public. At the same time, you must keep in mind that Florida courts prefer joint custody agreements as this type of arrangement is beneficial to a child, and fair to both parents.

What are the two types of child custody in Florida?

First you need to become familiar with the terms used in court. 

Legal custody, which establishes which parent has the authority to make important decisions for the child, is now referred to as “parental responsibility”. 

Physical custody, which decides the child’s primary residence, is known as time-sharing. That’s because, in most cases, even if you get full custody, your ex will still get visitation rights

Tips on getting full custody

It’s going to be a tough fight, so you need allies and weapons to use against your ex.

Get yourself a lawyer

You cannot possibly win full custody without legal counsel from knowledgeable Jacksonville child custody lawyers. They will help you gather evidence of why your ex is an unfit parent.

Bring up domestic violence 

If your former partner was abusive towards you or the children, have your lawyers dig up the police reports. If you didn’t call the police on your ex, your lawyers can call ask relatives or friends to testify about the incidents they have witnessed.

Discuss your ex-partner’s substance abuse

If your ex has a history of drug or alcohol abuse, this will weigh in your favor. Experienced Jacksonville divorce lawyers will dig up any criminal charges, as well as medical records. For instance, if your ex was charged with DUI and the child was in the car at that time, this is child endangerment.

Ask for a psychological evaluation

Your chances of getting full custody will go up significantly if you can prove your ex has a psychological condition making him or her unable to care for the children. Bear in mind that if you do that, your ex will probably demand that you submit to a psychological evaluation as well. In most cases, the mental health experts will end up interviewing both you and your ex. They could also talk to the children or evaluate the way they interact with either parent.

Be the better parent

Remember that your ex will accuse you of being an unfit parent to counter any accusations you make. You must make sure your house is spotless, in case social workers pay you a visit. Try to arrange your work schedule so you can be at home when the kid comes back from school. Don’t miss any medical appointments or PTA meetings. On the other hand, make a list of all the important events in your child’s life that your ex missed. 

Be reasonable

You don’t want to appear bitter or divisive in front of the judge. As mentioned above, the court may still award your visitation rights. Even if your ex was charged with domestic violence, they can always argue they’ve changed. They may very well get supervised visits with the children and there’s nothing you can do about it.