I’m sorry to hear that you may be going through a custody battle during your divorce. A custody battle can be extremely emotionally painful and also scary. It’s critical that you take actions at the beginning to protect yourself as well as your children during this difficult time.
The best way to maximize your chances of winning your custody case is to prepare a good case. It’s critical that you hire an attorney.
You need to start keeping a parenting calendar as well as a journal documenting your parenting. Use your calendar to try to recreate the past six months or so of your parenting, including what he has done and what you have done.
For example, who regularly took the children to school? Who scheduled doctor’s and dentist appointments? Who helped with homework? Who prepared meals and did laundry? Who arranged extracurricular activities and provided transportation?
In short, you need to be able to prove that you are the primary caretaker of the children and that you are capable of parenting on your own. Make a log of everything you do for your kids every day.
You also may need to subpoena school records, doctor’s records, and other documentation. You will need to show that you have a job and a stable place to live, as well as arrangements in place for schooling and child care.
You should also be able to show that you have ties in your community, such as through your church, friends, neighbors, and more. You will need to line up witnesses on your behalf who can testify about your parenting skills.