Family law covers a wide array of topics. From prenuptial agreements to divorces, there are laws in place to dictate the legal precedents of any conflict. Of all of these family law topics, those involving children are considered by many to be the most important. Children are the precious future of our world, and almost everyone who has children wants what’s best for them.
Most often, what’s best for the child is the primary point of contention in custody disputes. Each parent believes that he or she is the parent better suited to raise the child, and they go to great lengths to prove their case before the courts. With this in mind, those who wish to earn custody of their children must consider the consequences of their actions, as many things can affect how the courts see your relationship with your child.
Child abuse is often the most damaging action impacting custody decisions, but accusations and reality aren’t the same. For example, reported statistics show Texas officials overturned a good number of the Child Protective Services rulings that claimed that there was child abuse or neglect in a case. While it’s noted that 42 percent of child abuse cases were overturned for one reason or another, it doesn’t completely undo the damage dealt by the initial ruling in some cases. Even if a ruling is reversed, parents who were initially accused of child abuse could still suffer from the ruling in a custody dispute.
In almost every instance of family law, perception matters. It’s difficult to objectively quantify things like quality of time spent with children or how much each spouse deserves in a divorce case. This is why it is important to think about how your actions could alter your appearance in a civil law case. It can also be wise to enlist the help of legal counsel to help build your case and present it effectively.
Source: Khou.com, “More Texas child abuse claims by CPS being overturned,” May 26, 2014