A St. Petersburg Child Custody Lawyer Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Father’s Rights

Child custody is often one of the most challenging aspects of the divorce process. The last thing any parent wants is to cause additional upheaval or distress for their children. Yet, divorce brings with it some necessary lifestyle changes for everyone involved. As such, it is important to establish fair custody arrangements that minimize disruption and maximize equal contact.

That said, child custody cases in Florida are renowned for being particularly difficult for divorcing fathers. Florida is often considered to be the “mother state” because family law courts have a reputation for prioritizing mothers over fathers in child custody and divorce situations. This is neither fair to you as a caring father or to your children who could be deprived of a relationship with you.

As such, it is vital to work with an experienced family law attorney if you’re navigating a child custody case and want to reach a fair outcome. A dedicated and qualified lawyer will take effective steps to establish fair and equitable arrangements that suit the circumstances and the needs of the whole family. As the well-known child custody lawyers for dads in St. Petersburg, FL, In Law We Trust Divorce and Family Lawyers should be your first point of contact. From 2014 to 2017, the law firm of In Law We Trust Divorce and Family Lawyers was selected by the National Trial Lawyers of America as one of the Top 40 under 40 in Florida which is a professional organization by invitation only, composed of the top trial lawyers from each state or region who are under the age of 40. Our firm has a stellar reputation in the field of family law and representing fathers in both straightforward and more complex child custody cases.

Prioritizing the Children’s Bill of Rights

Before we dive deeper into the details of child custody cases in St. Petersburg, it’s important to touch on your child’s rights. Divorce cases can be turbulent and parents can occasionally get caught up in their own emotions and disagreements with a former spouse. This can lead to decisions being made that mainly benefit the parents. It is vital to remember that your children are people and should have a clear expectation for their needs to be met above all others. This is why we always refer divorcing parents to the Children’s Bill of Rights. This document can act as a useful guideline to how children can and should be put first.

The Children’s Bill of Rights

What are the Key Considerations for Child Custody in St. Petersburg, FL?

The aim of any child custody case is to create a fair care arrangement for the entire family. However, this can feel like a quite vague remit that’s widely open to interpretation. When you’re facing a custody case with your ex, it is important to gain an understanding of the elements the court is likely to consider when establishing what is the right arrangement for your family. The last thing you want is to find you’re unfairly denied access to your children because you don’t meet the standards necessary. These standards can vary from location to location. It is, therefore, vital that you work with a family lawyer that understands the priorities of courts in St Petersburg and the wider Florida area. Some of these aspects include:

Lifestyle stability

One of the most important considerations for child custody arrangements is the lifestyle stability your children can expect. The family court will examine how much structure and support each parent can currently provide and is likely to be able to offer stability for the foreseeable future. This will involve assessment of financial and accommodation provisions. However, it can also include reviews of the parents’ health, working schedule, and social interactions. As such, it is important to work with a family law attorney that can help you demonstrate your competence here. This can include gathering evidence and presenting past examples of you putting your child’s interests and stability first.

Child’s wishes

There is a tendency to assume that the custody arrangements will be purely decided between the parents and the family court. Nevertheless, in some instances your children’s wishes will be taken into account. There are, of course, various factors that can influence how much a court considers their preferences. For example, younger children’s opinions generally hold less weight than those of older children. Unfortunately, there are times at which a spouse may utilize manipulative behavior during the divorce to turn a child against the other parent. You need to work with a lawyer who can identify whether there is evidence of this and work with you to present clear examples of your ex’s undue influence over your child’s wishes.

Parents’ behavior

Among the most contentious and common devices to sway custody arrangements is often the parents’ behavior. Understandably, the court bases a certain amount of importance on how each parent conducts themselves both around their children and in other areas of their lives. As such, it isn’t unusual for a former spouse to make claims about the other parents’ behavior in order to gain favor with the court. This may include suggestions of alcohol or drug use. There may be accusations of illegal or unethical activities. In some instances, claims of abuse against the spouse or the children may be used to impact the custody arrangements. A skilled family lawyer can collaborate with you to disprove any erroneous statements or address any examples of behavior the court may find concerning.

Alterations to Arrangements

Reaching a child custody arrangement isn’t necessarily the final hurdle you face. There may be times that you need to return to the family court to make alterations. This isn’t something that is advisable to approach alone. Partnering with an experienced family law attorney means you navigate the process correctly and present the best possible case for a positive outcome for you and your children.

One of the key reasons you might be seeking adjustments may be that your initial case resulted in an unequal custody split. Particularly if this was due to the perception that certain elements of lifestyle or behavior didn’t meet the court’s standards, you may be returning to demonstrate improvements. This is not something to be taken lightly and the St Petersburg family courts likely won’t tolerate what they consider to be time wasting if there isn’t significant change. As such, your family law attorney can establish when there is sufficient improvement and make effective representations on your behalf.

St. Petersburg Child Custody for Men

As a caring father, it is only understandable that you want your children to experience as little disruption as a result of your divorce as possible. The best way to achieve this is to push for custody arrangements that ensure the most equal balance of contact between both parents. As such, you need to collaborate with a skilled and dedicated family lawyer in your corner to ensure you effectively navigate a court system that can too often be biased in favor of mothers. Call us to begin the representation of your case. We’ll take the time to review your circumstances thoroughly and collaborate with you to achieve a positive outcome. In Law We Trust Divorce and Family Lawyers is a firm that approaches child custody for fathers in St. Petersburg with compassion and experience. We will work tirelessly to help you achieve your child custody goals.