Personal Injury Lawyer

When you’re going through a divorce, it’s normal to want to go out and meet new people. You may even want to start a romantic relationship with someone new. However, if you have young children at home, you should proceed with caution. Dating someone new could affect your child custody case. Here’s how:

Your New Relationship May Cause You to Speak Poorly About the Other Parent

You’re in a new relationship with someone you really care about and things are going great. Your new partner’s wonderful qualities may even make you realize what you were missing with your ex. Even if this is true, you don’t want it to make you say negative things about your ex, especially in front of your children. If you constantly speak poorly about your ex and call him or her nasty names, your children may feel even more anxious and confused. If the judge finds out that you have been talking badly about your ex in front of your kids, he or she may hold it against you in the child custody proceedings.

Your New Partner Affects Your Ability to Care for Your Children

When you’re in a new relationship, things are exciting and you want to see that person all the time. The two of you may go out to restaurants, concerts and even take trips out of town together. While all of that may sound great, you can’t allow it to take time away from your children. If your new partner prevents you from spending adequate time with your kids, it could negatively affect your child custody case. The judge may think that you aren’t devoting enough time to your children and award custody to the other parent.

Your New Partner Is a Bad Influence

Before you start dating someone new, you have to consider the type of person he or she is. You don’t want this person to reflect negatively on you or your child custody case. For example, if the person you’re dating has a prison record or alcohol problem, the judge may believe the person is a bad influence on your children and that they should be kept away from him or her.

You Started Dating Your Partner While You Were Still Married

If you started dating your current partner while you were still married to your spouse, it’s considered an extramarital affair. The judge might frown upon that, especially if it negatively affected your kids’ lives in some way.

Speaking to a Family Lawyer

If you’re not sure about whether or not your dating life will affect your child custody case, you should speak to a family law attorney right away. A skilled lawyer will assess your case and advise you the best way to proceed.