Family and Other Close Relationships Can Impact Your Child Custody Rights

Just recently, the mother of a one year old boy was stripped of her custody rights after her child was shot in her own home.  The boy was accidentally shot by his 19-year old uncle.  The child survived and is now on the road to recovery.  Meanwhile, the father has been awarded custody and the mother has visitation rights.

In the recent court decision surrounding this case, the court was hesitant to make a final award of custody to the mother due to concerns over whether Escalante is capable of protecting her son against the shooter.  She contends she has had no contact with the 19 year old and has changed her phone number.  In addition, Escalante has completed court required parenting classes.  To see the full article go to MSNBC.

This case is a prime example of how one horrific accident that was not directly caused by a parent, can dramatically impact that parent’s custody rights.  If you are in the midst of a disputed custody case, keep in mind that the outcome of the case can be affected by the type of the individuals to whom you choose to expose your children.  A court will consider a variety of issues when determining custody, including fitness of each parent and the type of environment the child will experience.

For more information on how to prepare yourself for a custody battle, contact the certified family law specialists at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri.  Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results.  While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice.  Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.