For most couples, the decision to get divorced is usually followed by a series of discussions and negotiations regarding the division of assets and applicable property. The act of divvying up material possessions can be difficult on its own. However, in situations where children from the marriage are part of the mix, this process can easily get propelled to a totally new level.
Rusty Applegate is a South Carolina attorney who has spent multiple decades helping clients with their divorces and resulting custody battles. A family man himself, Applegate understands how high the stakes can get during these types of legal proceedings and negotiations. After all, it’s impossible to put a price on the presence of a child in a parent’s life, nor can one quantify the heartache that comes along with the notion of potentially losing custody of your son or daughter. For this reason, it is imperative that anyone going through a divorce where children are involved seek out the help of an experienced family law attorney from the beginning of the process up until it is officially concluded.
There are multiple ways in which an attorney might be able to help you with your custody battle. For starters, an attorney can work with you and your spouse to try to reach a friendly, mutually-acceptable settlement as far as custody goes. The best way to ensure that both parents are able to obtain reasonable custody rights is to work out an agreement that benefits both parties involved. An attorney might be able to talk your spouse out of contesting custody by highlighting the reasons why claims against your rights as a parent might be legally unfounded or invalid.
Most people would do anything to hang on to their children, even if it means stooping to the level of playing dirty. When it comes to custody battles, you never know when your spouse might decide to hire a private investigator to dig up dirt on you, or employ other such sneaky tactics in order to prove that you’re unfit as a parent. Your attorney, however, can protect you from false accusations and, when necessary, come up with an effective plan of legal retaliation to ensure that your rights as a parent are always defended.
Of course, sometimes an attorney is needed simply to teach people how to act appropriately with regard to custody. A firm believer in moral principles, Rusty Applegate has been forced, on multiple occasions, to intervene in custody disputes by getting the spouses involved to realize that his battle tactics might be coming at the expense of the children involved. An attorney can help you stay focused on what’s best for your child during your custody battle so that the process doesn’t alienate or emotionally scar him for life.
Every good parent will agree that a child is far more important than any other possession or facet of a divorce proceeding. If you’re faced with a custody battle, the last thing you’d ever want to do is run the risk of losing your child. By hiring an attorney, you not only minimize the threat of having your child taken away, but put yourself in a position to engage in negotiations that might better serve your child in the long run. So go ahead — let your spouse have that end table she’s been fighting for, or give her that savings bond that she insists on keeping. But when it comes to your children, don’t ever give up custody without a solid legal fight.
This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.
