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Child custody cases have become much more scrutinized over recent years as the court system has put more consideration into each parent's ability to provide for their child. No longer is the mother virtually guaranteed to win child custody simply because they are the societal favorite. Now there are indicators and behavior patterns that the court system uses to determine the eligibility of a parent for both custody and visitation privileges. Because of this, there certain things a mother should keep in mind before attending their hearing.

Get Organized

At the forefront of any legal battle is the importance of detailed record keeping. Judges will rarely accept accusations or statements of fact without the proper documentation. Prior to the custody hearing, mothers should organize all paperwork related to the child's health, education and finances. In addition to this, other important records to have include bank statements, parental salary information, and bills related to running the household. All of these documents should be organized in such a way that the courts can easily determine the financial needs of the child and the lifestyle of which they are accustomed to.

Improve Your Situation

The environment that each custodial candidate provides for the child is one of the most important determining factors in a custody case. Some of the things a judge will look for include the safety, size, and condition of the home, and whether or not the child will have to change neighborhoods and schools. This makes it vital for mothers to do everything in their power to improve the perception of their residence. It may even be necessary in some cases to consider moving to a location that better provides the child an opportunity to excel in both school and social growth. The key is to offer a standard of living that is either the same or better than what the child is accustomed to.

Build a Strong Case

Beyond external factors such as housing and finances, it is also important to focus on building a strong argument for obtaining custody. This becomes a matter of putting all of the facts and circumstances together in such a way that will influence the judge to side with the mother. This can include things like time spent with the child, care giving tendencies, and emotional support. While not all of these factors can be measured on paper, they still hold significant weight in the eyes of the court. This is an area where a devoted mother can excel by proving that she is the most prominent parental figure in the child's life.

Mothers who are trying to win custody of their children need to recognize that the legal system is much more balanced than it was even five years ago. While many believe that the mother holds a distinct advantage in custody cases, this is simply not true. The biggest advantage that any parent can have is the ability to provide their child with a safe and healthy environment that will allow them to grow and develop both socially and intellectually. Thus, all mothers should focus their pre-hearing efforts on stabilizing their home and adjusting their lifestyle to better fit the needs of a growing child. If they can prove to the court that they provide the best environment, then they will ultimately win child custody.