How to Get and Keep Custody of Your Child(ren)

MomInOR's Comment: Good article. Unfortunately, none of it applied to MY custody case :( My ex was in drug rehab, unemployed and arrested and hand-cuffed in front of my kids and even left drugs out that the kids found. The judge didn't seem to care. He's been uncooperative throughout the custody proceedings and even lied and refused to answer questions during deposition. He's obese, and emotionally unstable... I could go on. I've done everything I should have done as a parent, including cooperating with a man who doesn't understand the meaning of the word. It's always his way or no way. Thank God my kids are in high school and only have a few years before they're of age.

mehreen7677's Comment: What happens if the mother is unemployed and lives with a boyfriend fighting for the custody though her priority is her child in every way.her SON IS HER LIFE AND SOONER SHE WILL GET A JOB. Does living with a boyfriend and being unemployed and the boyfriend handling all the expenses goes against her in the custody battle with her ex.how CAN SHE DEFEND THIS IN COURT IF THE EX LAWYER MAKES THE MOM'S BOYFRIEND A TARGET TO WIN THE CUSTODY.

Anonymous Comment: This does not hold true in the courts in Pennsylvania courts Allegheny County. The first Three hold true to my husband he is the primary caretaker he makes sure that his son has good education , sees that his son gets to his doctors appointments if need be , and makes sure he is active in sports or any other activity he may be in and he stays active with his son in his sports and school activities , he does not do drugs or alcohol, on the other hand the childs mother does drugs and alcohol had been in rehab 8 times says shes clean and sober now but recovering alcoholics do not sit in bars watching sports cannot hold a job for more then one year. My husband does not say anything bad about his sons mother and will not let his son disrepect his mother and he is trying to work with her and she takes but does not give back and she tells her son that his father has distroyed his life meaning the sons and she got him believing it so he does not want to live with his dad not more . My husband went from having primary custody to joint custody and now he is fighting in court now to keep any kind of custody ,because the mother wants primary custody back and she is saying that her son does not want to live with his dad and wants to make his own decision when to come see him and thats if he wants to see him. And everytime we go back to court the judge tells my husband that he is selfish and that his son only knows the mother and her family. They make the mother and the son the victom and my husband to be no good and selfish. I have helped raise my husbands son since he was 9 months old and he has been so brain washed by his mother and grandparents that it is a shame and when he gets older and understands he is going to regret what his has done to his father and you can blame the mother and the courts for that. I do not see a lot of rights in the courts for Fathers some of these courts are still like they were twenty years ago. I think that the laws should change to give fathers more rights when it comes to child custody. because these women know that no matter what they do that the court is always on their side and they will get the child support, dont get me wrong I believe a father should help support their child , but if he is doing that and more and the mother isnt but is trying to get primary custody back and taking all of the fathers rights away meaning custody and visitations rights then I dont think that the father should have to pay child support.

Anonymous Comment: In regards to the last comment of DO NOT RELOCATE WITHOUT PERMISSION. What if the mother, 1 child and 1 unborn child was thrown out of the home by the father who is mental unstable? Then what?