Commerce City Child Custody Lawyer

If you are about to enter divorce proceedings in Commerce City, CO (or if the divorce is already filed but marital issues like child custody are becoming impossible to tackle on your own), then you may currently be in the decision-making phase of hiring a Colorado child custody attorney to represent you. You must make the decision that works best for you, your kids, and your future. As you decide, consider these factors:

• Are you thinking clearly? – The very fact that you must go to court to fight for the right to parent your own children can understandably rankle many parents. You may think that your parental rights will be your shield in court and that no judge would dare question your record as a good parent. The whole thing can feel offensive to a dedicated parent. Do not let anger or self-righteousness cloud your judgment in this time of heightened emotions. It’s likely that your ex is feeling equally entitled to the children, and you can be assured their lawyer will be fighting for maximum access to and time with them.
• What do your children think? – Depending on how old your children are, it can be productive and healthy to involve them in the divorce process in a limited way. This allows them to feel respected and heard and like they have more agency in a tumultuous time in their own lives. Have frank conversations with your children about how they’re feeling and what they want the future to look like for all of you.
• Is your ex represented? – Even if you and your spouse can sit down and productively address the divorce together, it’s important to be aware of their legal strategies. If your spouse decides to lawyer up, it can be crucial for you to do the same quickly before you are overpowered in court. Your ex may be civil—hopefully, this is the case—but you should not mistake that to mean they will be a pushover in court or go along with whatever you suggest for child custody arrangements. Allowing professional attorneys to work through these sensitive issues can help keep things calm and productive between you and your ex, and that’s always best for the children.
• Do you or your ex have a history of criminality or abuse? – Criminal records and abusive actions in the past can be very effectively weaponized in a family law court. If there are any such issues relevant to your child custody case, it’s crucial to be open with your attorney about them so that you can build the correct legal strategy to address them.
• Are you trying to change an existing child custody order? – Modifications to a child custody order can be requested long after a divorce has been finalized. You have parental rights, and these do not simply vanish when your ex is named the custodial parent after divorce proceedings.