High-Conflict Florida Custody Cases
Divorce is often a contentious process, especially when children are involved. It’s not uncommon to have a high-conflict custody battle during your Florida divorce. What’s important is how you handle it, so you don’t risk losing your rights. Going through a divorce with a high-conflict custody dispute on your own is not recommended. You need an experienced Boca Raton child custody lawyer on your side.
Tips for Dealing with Your Ex During a High-Conflict Custody Case
It’s understandable that emotions run high, as fighting for custody of your children is an emotional process. However, you cannot let your ex get to you. If he or she is trying to provoke you, it’s imperative that you keep your cool. Practice self-awareness, as you can’t change how he or she responds and acts, but you can change the way you handle a situation. Be the bigger person and do not manipulate or use your children as a bargaining chip. Focus on the facts and remaining calm.
Be sure to you write everything down during the process. Document your interactions with your ex and your own behaviors and feelings. Look for patterns that can help you learn how to deal with your ex.
Whether you want to or not, you will have to compromise at some point to help reach a parenting plan you can both agree on. It doesn’t mean caving in and losing everything you want. However, remember that family courts look at what is best for your children. You cannot be stubborn on aspects that benefit yourself rather than your child.
Alternatives to High-Conflict Custody Cases
There are methods you can consider in an attempt to resolve your high-conflict custody battle without going through formal litigation in front of a judge. One of the first things you can consider is mediation. This is where you engage the services of a mediator who is a neutral third party. He or she is trained to do this sort of work and will work with both sides to reach an agreement. Mediations are not binding, nor does the mediator issue a decision or award like you would see with an arbitration.
Another option is a collaborative law agreement. Much like mediation revolves around solving problems and getting both sides to cooperate, so does collaborative law. The main difference is that collaborative law can save you money and time in many cases. You and your spouse still retain separate counsel, but you share experts rather than each retaining your own. You meet in a more informal setting where you can have an open and honest conversation.
The downside with collaborative law is that you both have to sign an agreement that if you cannot resolve your issues, you must each retain new counsel and start over with traditional litigation. This can end up costing you both significantly more.
There are other options that may be applicable in your situation, which is why it’s important to retain a knowledgeable Boca Raton child custody attorney who has experience handling high-conflict child custody cases. Contact the Law Offices of Schwartz | White today to schedule an initial consultation.
https://www.schwartz-white.com/what-is-a-morality-clause-and-does-it-apply-to-my-florida-divorce/