During the process of a divorce, if there are children involved from the marriage, the courts find it prudent to focus on the children and to make sure that all decisions are made with the children involved. Children can be especially sensitive during a divorce. It is not always easy to avoid conflict or animosity in the presence of the children all living under the same roof.
Children are smart; they can pick up on things, and know when something is awry. What they may not be able to comprehend is the reasoning why their mom and dad are no longer together or acting the way they did when the marriage was healthy and happy.
In order to keep the impact of a divorce on children to a minimum. The courts will look at all aspects of the children’s lives, including the relationship they have with each parent. Depending on the age and maturity of the children, they may even ask them for their own personal opinion on the relationship they have with each parent. This can be a very important factor in deciding who gets custody of the child.
It is important to recognize that one of the most hotly contested battles spouses often face while in the process of a divorce is that of child custody. One side may even resort to false claims about the other spouse’s character, whether it is a made-up story about alcohol or substance abuse, or phony claims of domestic violence. Such baseless claims could wind up severely hurting a spouse in the long run. The courts do not take such false claims lightly; it could lead to serious repercussions for the accuser.
Source: findlaw.com, “Focusing on the ‘Best Interests’ of the Child,” Accessed June 20, 2017