When your child’s father hasn’t always been in the picture, custody is a little bit more complicated.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because he hasn’t been involved doesn’t mean that he won’t be able to be involved later—chances are pretty good that he will.
Where your children are concerned, though, you can’t be too careful, and you’ll want to make sure that, if he’s going to be involved, he does so in a way that protects their best interests. It’s hard to suddenly involve a dad who hasn’t been an awesome father all along; in many cases, experts (like therapists) work with attorneys and guardians ad litem to help make sure that dad is reintegrated into the family in a healthy way.
You’ll definitely want to read up on reunification cases if you’re facing one. A good place to start is with our reunification free report!
Deadbeat dads change their minds randomly all the time, and sometimes that means that, out of nowhere, they’re suddenly petitioning for custody and visitation of a child they’ve spent years away from. Whatever changed their mind is irrelevant; what matters now is the steps you’ll take to make sure that you’re protecting the best interests of your child.
After all, it’s not just a matter of sending the kid off with dad; if he hasn’t been involved for years, there’s potential for emotional damage there. It may not be an easy process (in fact, in some cases, it takes awhile before the child is truly ready to spend time with dad), but it’s important that you protect your child by moving forward in a way that will be both healthy and productive. Your child’s father, though, probably doesn’t understand the need for caution, so you’re going to need to prepare for the type of heavy duty custody case you’ll likely be facing.
Reunification cases aren’t easy. In fact, in the most severe cases, they bring up all sorts of issues and require additional experts, witnesses, and exhibits not necessary in your standard custody and visitation case.
If you’re wondering how to begin to prepare to face a reunification case in Virginia, request a copy of our free report “Reunification in Virginia Child Custody Cases” by filling out the form. You’ll receive an immediate copy emailed to you as a downloadable PDF.
What will you learn from our reunification report? We cover a variety of reunification-specific topics, including:
- What is reunification?
- How do courts make a decision when reunification is a factor?
- What to do if he turns up out of nowhere and wants custody or visitation
- How to avoid losing a reunification case (yes, it’s possible to LOSE!)
- What experts and others you may need to get involved to testify on your child’s behalf
- What to do if you can’t avoid going to court, and how to plan to protect yourself and your children.
Reunification cases are difficult, but if you’re up against a wall, the best first step you can take is to request your free copy of our free report on Reunification in Virginia.
