During child custody hearings in Arizona, the family court judge has to determine what type of child custody arrangement is best for the children. Parents who have to attend such hearings should make sure that they submit the necessary documents with their petitions to the court to best prove their case. They should also bring copies of these documents to the hearings.
One type of document that is important for child custody hearings is phone call logs. Both parents should maintain a record of all of the phone calls that take place between the non-custodial parent and the children. The phone log should detail when and how often the calls took place and the duration of the calls.
The record can be used as proof of regular contact with the children for parents who do not reside with the children. Parents who have custody can use the records to show that there is a lack of continuous contact between the children and the other parent. However, using the phone records as ammunition against the other parent can backfire if the other parent asserts that the lack of regular contact with the children was a result of the interfering actions of the other party. Parents who purposely try to derail their children’s relationship with the other parent should be prepared to answer to the family court, as such actions are severely frowned upon.
A family law attorney may consider the factors of a child custody case and a client’s desired settlement terms and may recommend certain legal strategies to pursue. The attorney may advise clients about the process of obtaining child custody, what occurs during child custody hearings and what information is necessary to present the best case. Litigation may be used to protect the rights of parents.