Joint Custody Visitation

[Charles]

I am the father of a beautiful, healthy 4 month old baby girl. Her mother is taking me to court for custody, and are trial is set for January 31, 2014. Ever since are daughter was born, I have tried to play an active role in raising her but have been denied overnights and her mother has refused to work with me on coming up with a equal and fair custody schedule. She filed for sole legal and physical custody, while I have filed for joint physical and joint legal custody. Her mother is only giving me one option of every other weekend as a schedule. I do not agree with this due to the fact that it is a sole custody schedule and it would limit my time with my daughter even more. I have given her several custody schedule options all being 50/50 such as; alternating weeks, 2/2/3, and a 5/2/2/5. She is arguing that none of these schedules are stable and bounces are daughter from house to house, and further insists on a every other weekend schedule. She is not breastfeeding. After are settlement conference before the judge, the judge is leaning in my favor and said that fathers deserve times with there children and he is not inclined to do an every other weekend schedule. This angered my daughters mother and since then she has taken it upon herself to have are daughter seen by a psychotherapist/counselor to get a professional opinion on the negative impacts of a joint custody schedule like the 2/2/3. She advised that such schedules could lead to future behavioral problems, bed wetting etc. etc. I disagree with these findings and am trying to find information to support it. I am very nervous about her using a doctors opinion against me and do not want to lose my daughter.

[ocean]

Judges have heard it all. You can hire your own expert (local psych) that believes fathers should have split custody. You/Your lawyer can question her expert on the stand at trial and ask why each of your proposals would not work and why every other weekend only would. (Do not tell your ex that now, to give them time to come up with a response).

Most judges will give infant visitation few hours, few days a week. Half custody depends on judge and if parents can communicate.

A 4 month going to a therapist is just crazy. Did the therapist even call you or see you with child before she made these statements? The therapist actually wrote "every other weekend would be best"?

Go to infant/child CPR and sign up for a parenting class. Looks great in court even if you have not finished class by trial. Call you local library, fire house, and child protective services for class days/times.

Good luck!

[Giggles]

Do your research as well....


Here is an article that has some great references for equal parenting:


http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/co-parenting-after-divorce/201303/equal-parenting-and-the-quality-parent-child-attachments (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/co-parenting-after-divorce/201303/equal-parenting-and-the-quality-parent-child-attachments)


Good luck!!