High Conflict Family Law Attorney
Using Our 55+ Years of Combined Experience to Get Results for New Jersey Families
Are you involved in a high-conflict custody dispute? These types of cases can be the most emotionally and financially draining of all family law actions. At Edens Law Group, LLC, we have a wealth of experience negotiating and litigating these challenging and difficult situations for clients.
Our attorneys have spent decades navigating the minefields of contentious custody cases both in and out of the courtroom, so you can expect our full legal and emotional support throughout your case. When you hire our family law firm for your custody case, you will be represented by a legal professional who has been trained to handle these complex situations. If you’re ready to discuss your case and learn more about your legal options, call our Chester, NJ law firm for a consultation with an experienced family law attorney.
What Factors Can Make a New Jersey Custody Battle Contentious?
Most custody cases have the potential to be emotional and overwhelming for the parents involved, since nothing is more important than ensuring your children are in a safe, loving home under your care. Both parents ideally have their child’s best interests at heart and believe getting more time with their children is the best outcome for everyone, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in the stress of the situation and let strong emotions take over.
Our family law attorneys have provided legal representation for countless clients going through custody issues and therefore understand the emotional toll this type of case can take on anyone. However, some custody battles become more contentious than usual, turning into high-conflict cases that must be handled with compassion and skill to reach a resolution on family law matters.
Some factors that can lead to a high-conflict custody case include:
- Ongoing, intense disagreements between the parents
- Inability for the parents to communicate effectively or reach a compromise
- Allegations or documented history of child abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
- Violations of court orders
- Accusations of parental alienation
- An alcoholic or drug-addicted parent
- A parent with a personality disorder, such as narcissism or bipolar disorder
- Aggressive, argumentative, and high-conflict personalities
- Frequent legal battles involving the local family court
- Third-party involvement, such as Child Protective Services, grandparents, or other family members
If your situation involves these or similar contentious issues, you may be dealing with a high-conflict custody case that requires legal assistance from an experienced high-conflict divorce attorney. At Edens Law Group, LLC, our lawyers know how to address and handle complicated issues with skill and precision. We have successfully resolved many high-conflict custody cases and are ready to put that experience to work for you, so call today to speak with a high-conflict divorce lawyer.
How Should You Handle Major Conflicts in Your Custody Case?
When you’re going through a high-conflict divorce or other family law issue, it’s common to feel defensive and self-righteous about your position, as you know that your intentions are good and you’re putting your child first. However, it’s important to remember that the other party likely feels the same way and is just as committed to getting their desired outcome as you are.
This means the case will never end until both of you are willing to compromise. If the idea of spending most of your time and money on family court for the foreseeable future is not appealing, it’s essential to learn some ways to turn your high-conflict case into a parenting plan you can both agree on. Consider how to start this process and then call a skilled high-conflict divorce lawyer for help with the legal aspects of your custody case.
Put Your Child’s Best Interests First
High-conflict divorces can be emotionally difficult for everyone involved, especially the children. Seeing their parents call each other names, threaten each other, or try to take away parenting time out of spite can cause children to feel anxious, scared, and sad. This is why you should make a commitment to think about your child before you say or do anything relating to the custody case.
You can start by refusing to speak negatively about your former spouse around the child, as well as supporting their parent/child relationship. Instead of trying to compete with the other parent, remember how important it is for children to have the love and support of both parents when possible. So, focus on making your time with your children peaceful, supportive, and memorable to ensure they feel safe and loved in your care, as this is in their best interest.
Document Everything
In many high-conflict divorces, one or both parties might struggle to communicate effectively or could even have a habit of lying or manipulating to get the case outcome they want. While you can’t stop someone from lying or misremembering the facts, you can minimize the effects on your custody battle by documenting all communications and actions that could affect your case.
First, you should keep a parenting journal in which you write down the dates and times of all child drop-offs and pick-ups with the other parent, as well as any interactions you had with them. If your child made any interesting or concerning comments about their time with the other parent, write those down in the journal.
You should also write down the dates you took your child to any doctor appointments, school meetings, sports practices, or other important activities. This way, you have evidence in case the other parent tries to claim neglect or disinterest in the child’s life. For the same reason, you should keep all communications with the other parent, such as emails and text messages. You might need to present them in your child custody case if your former spouse makes any false claims.
Leave Strong Emotions Out of Your Communications
High-conflict divorce and custody cases are known for involving intense emotions, which can make it impossible to communicate effectively. But it is crucial to leave the emotions out of your communications with your former spouse if you want your case to progress in a positive, productive way.
Of course, this can take a lot of practice and restraint, especially in a high-conflict divorce with someone who constantly belittles, threatens, or manipulates you. However, if you can rise above it and remain civil rather than reacting emotionally and impulsively, you will be the bigger person in the situation. Not only does that look good to a family court judge, but it also removes the other person’s power to mock your reaction or claim you’re unstable and emotional.
If you want this result, you should practice writing and speaking in a brief, informative manner that leaves out emotions and insults. So, if you’re co-parenting and have child-related questions or comments, focus on communicating in a friendly but direct tone meant to gather or provide the necessary information about your child – not provoke or criticize the other parent. When possible, communicate in writing – such as text or email – or consider using a co-parenting app so you have a record of your brief, non-emotional communications.
Get Support During Your Family Law Case
High-conflict divorces and custody battles can be draining and discouraging, so do not try to go through your case alone. You will need a support network of people who can offer comfort and encouraging words during this stressful time, so stay in regular contact with friends, family, and support groups of parents who have been through similar cases.
However, you should also enlist the help of professionals who have years of education and experience handling high-conflict situations for clients. First, consider getting therapy to help with your mental health and well-being during your case, as you’ll need to learn some ways to destress and handle the emotional overload that a high-conflict divorce often causes.
Finally, you should contact a skilled family lawyer who has years of experience with high-conflict divorce cases and can provide legal advice before your next court date. The right family lawyer can offer legal assistance regarding child custody, child support, property division, and any other family law issues that you must address during the divorce process. If you’re ready to get an experienced attorney’s advice, call our law firm today to learn what to expect from the upcoming legal proceedings.
Do You Understand the Custody Options Available to You?
As you prepare for your divorce case, make sure you’re aware of the types of child custody you can request and what each one means for your family. If you’re unsure which custody arrangement would be best for your children, you should hire a skilled family attorney to give you accurate legal information regarding custody and fight for the best outcome for your case.
One type of custody you can pursue is legal custody. This determines which parent makes important decisions regarding the child’s life, such as where they will go to school, what religion they practice, and what healthcare procedures they can get.
In most cases, family court judges award joint legal custody so both parents share the responsibility of making decisions that affect the child’s life. However, if one parent is abusive, unfit, or not interested in being involved in the child’s life, a judge might grant the other parent sole legal custody. This means they can make decisions without getting input from the abusive or absent parent.
The other type of custody you can pursue is physical custody, which refers to which parent the child lives with and depends on for their daily care. With joint physical custody, the child will split their time with each parent. So, they might live with one parent for half the week and then go to the other parent’s house for the other half, or they might live with each parent every other week. This depends on each parent’s work schedule, the child’s school schedule and location, and their age.
In some cases, one parent gets primary physical custody, meaning the child lives with them and depends on them for all their needs. When this occurs, the other parent usually gets visitation – also called parenting time – so they can stay involved in the child’s life. Visitation could occur a few days per week, every other weekend, or whenever possible, depending on the family’s schedule. For example, if one parent lives in another state or country, they might get parenting time with their child when they visit, or they may be able to arrange for the child to visit them during school breaks.
These details regarding child custody and visitation will be worked out in family court unless you can come to an agreement outside the courtroom, such as during mediation. Either way, it’s important to have a trusted family lawyer carefully consider the details of your case before making any decisions that involve the legal process. If you have questions about your upcoming child custody case or divorce proceeding, call our firm to speak with a caring family lawyer.
Do You Need Help with Child Custody Modifications?
Sometimes, issues in custody cases are not always readily apparent, so it could be necessary to bring a case back to court to ask the judge to modify the original custody order. When that happens, you’ll want a lawyer by your side to guide your case through the court system. Our attorneys can work with you to prepare your case and, where necessary, create alternative visitation arrangements.
The first step of your legal proceeding will be identifying the changes you want to make and why. At that point, you and your lawyer can present evidence in court to show the judge why the existing arrangement is not in the child’s best interest.
For example, if you believe the other parent has been abusive or neglectful toward the child, you and your attorney can gather proof to show the judge in an effort to get sole custody or order that all visitation be supervised. You might do the same if the other parent violates the custody agreement or your child’s needs have changed and the other parent cannot meet them.
On the other hand, if your job requires you to relocate to another state or work more hours, you might need to modify the custody arrangements to fit your new location or schedule. A skilled custody and divorce lawyer can assist with this legal process, whether or not you believe it will result in a high-conflict situation. An attorney from our firm can also help with modifications of child support, spousal support, and other court orders as needed, so call us to discuss your legal needs with a compassionate divorce lawyer.
How Can Our High-Conflict Family Law Attorney Assist You?
Divorce is already a difficult transition for both adults and children. Engaging in a high-conflict custody battle has been shown to cause children to suffer from emotional distress and anxiety. That is why it is important to seek the services of a divorce attorney who understands the dynamics of the situation and can help both parties communicate, collaborate, and navigate the case effectively.
If communication and collaboration seem to be impossible for your case and you’re worried about the well-being of your children as a result, contact our lawyers for legal guidance. Our family law lawyers have successfully handled numerous custody disputes for clients, so you can count on us to employ strategic and aggressive litigation tactics to fight for the best interests of you and your children. If you’re ready to learn how our caring divorce lawyers can protect you throughout your case, call 908-529-0353 to schedule an initial consultation with our legal team.
