When a couple who have children split up, one of the first things that they need to figure out is who the children are going to live with. If they have already agreed which parent is going to have custody of the children, the arrangements are easy to make. If both parents want custody of the children, things can be more complicated. When a parent is trying to get custody of their children, they should hire a child custody attorney in Lebanon County. There are things that an attorney can do that the parent may not be able to do on their own.
Knowledge of the Family Court System
One of the best reasons for a parent to hire an attorney is because child custody attorneys can easily navigate through the family court system. An attorney will have a list of suitable expert witnesses and they will usually know the other attorneys and judges in family court. These are all things that can benefit the parent seeking custody.
Access to Private Investigators
It is unfortunate, however, that the best way for a parent to be awarded custody during a custody battle is to discredit the other parent. Doing this isn’t always easy. An attorney will have access to private investigators whose job will be to find information to discredit the other parent. Usually, this is the parent’s only chance of winning the case.
Representation in Court
In many cases, the judge will send both parents to mediation in hopes that they can come up with a settlement on their own. If this isn’t possible, the case would go before a family court judge. Before this happens, the parent would need an attorney to build a case that proves that the children belong with them. The parent will also need an attorney in court to present them and argue the case. The attorney would question their client and any witnesses that are testifying on their client’s behalf. They would also cross-examine the other parent and their witnesses. Having a lawyer by their side in court is a parent’s best chance of getting custody of their children.
Custody battles are usually brutal and nasty. If a parent wants to get custody of their children regardless of this, they should hire a child custody attorney in Lebanon County. For more information, contact the Law Office of Melissa R. Montgomery.
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