Child Custody Questions... Answered!
Question 1: My son is doing poorly in school. He’s very bright but he fails to turn in homework assignments (and gets zero’s) and he can be lazy. My ex-wife says she’s doing her best but he’s still in danger of failing. I live in another state and can’t be there in person to intervene. Should I try to get custody?
Answer: Only as a last resort. First, find ways to be as involved with your son’s education as you can. If the school has a website that you can use to track grades, assignments, etc. or communicate with teachers, use it – frequently!
Talk to your son about his behavior. Talk to your ex-wife to develop strategies and consequences. Share these together with your son so he sees a united front.
Most important from a legal perspective is to document, document, document. Save all correspondence, including e-mails, to and from your ex-wife, teachers, your son, etc. Keep a log of your activities – dates, what you did, sites visited, suggestions made, who you spoke to, etc. You will need this detail for any future custody case. Judges don’t like moving kids – especially not to another state - but they will do so if that is what is best for the child.
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