As some Arizona parents know, difficult situations can sometimes lead to losing custody of their children. While this experience can be incredibly painful, it is not always permanent as there are some steps that can be taken to attempt to regain custody of the children.
The first thing to do is to honestly assess the situation to figure out why custody was taken away. Since judges decide child custody based on a child’s best interest, figuring out exactly why the judge decided the child was safer with someone else is a necessity in planning and getting ready to attempt to regain custody. If there are also court-mandated contingencies, such as anger management, parenting classes or alcohol and drug rehabilitation, for example, they should be completed before continuing with the process.
The next step is to ask for an in-home evaluation to show that the home is a safe, stable place for the children to live in. Cooperating with all of the court’s requests can also help with the chances for regaining custody. During this process, it is important to continue with the visitation schedule and managing interactions in a peaceful manner. This might also be a good time to consider other options, such as shared custody, if that is available.
During this process, parents seeking to regain custody of their child might consider consulting a family law attorney to help them with the process. A lawyer may discuss the different options available depending on the client’s situation and guide the client through the steps necessary to show the court that they are ready to parent their children. A lawyer may also help the client gather any documents necessary and represent the client before a judge if necessary.