When two people end their relationship and they have children together, life gets pretty messy. Ultimately, the goal in child custody situations is what is in the best interest of the child. Many times in custody (and divorce) a lot of claims get made, some with validity and others out of anger, spite or resentment. With accusations being made and with child custody cases being primarily a he said/ she said battle, hiring a private investigator can be extremely helpful. A private investigator can conduct a child custody investigation for you to ensure that your kids are safe, and provide you the evidence that can help establish the truth about your child’s welfare and safety when you go before a judge.
First, in order to understand the purpose and nature of child custody investigations, one must know and understand the types of custody that exist, and what each what class of custody you wish to obtain.
- Joint Legal Custody: having joint legal custody means both you and your child’s other parent have equal say in decisions regarding the child. in the event of a major disagreement, the courts will become involved.
- Joint Physical Custody: The child or children split their time between both parents homes.
- Sole Custody: The children live with one parent and that parent has the right to make legal decisions regarding the child’s affairs. The other parent may have visitation rights, but has no say over the child’s affairs or where where they live.
- Physical Custody: The child or children live with one parent
- Legal Custody: gives one parent the right to make legal decisions alone regarding the child
So how does a court decide what custody plan you get for your family? The court system determines custody on a “best interest of the child” Standard. Courts are required to take into account an array of factors to determine what is in the best interest of the children. Now, if there is abuse, that will be an ultimate determining factor. Courts can look at an overall picture of the situation, where the kids will be safest, who can support the kids the best, who has a network to help with raising the children and more. Each state varies on their standards, and in Tennessee each jurisdiction varies. One county might have a baseline that starts at 50/50 custody where other counties do not. Your family lawyer will be able to provide you with how your judge or magistrate tend to rule. However, here is a comprehensive list of some guidelines that could be determining factors in custody cases.
- Drug and alcohol use (and abuse)
- Evidence of Parenting skills (or lack of)
- The stability, health, lifestyle and schedule of each parent
- Criminal Records
- Any evidence of abuse or neglect by one parent or the other
- Fraudulent or unfounded accusations by either parent against the other concerning the child
- The morality and conduct of the parent
- Home environment
- Willingness of one parent to support and encourage a relationship with the other parent
- Evidence of parents care and affection for the child and vice versa
- Financial health and standing of the parents
- Suitability of the parent’s choice in friends and associates
If you have any questions or are beginning the process of filing for divorce or leaving your child’s other parent; or if you have been through this before but suspect issues or know things need to change – Rhino can help. Our professional private investigators are trained in handling child custody matters with the utmost of care. We understand this is a tough time for you, you need support and you need answers. We’ll keep you involved the whole process and will be here for you every step of the way. Call us today to talk about your case and see how we can help you and your family. For more information or to talk to a Private Investigator give us a call 615-424-0952.
