How might a domestic violence conviction adversely impact your child custody rights?
No jurisdiction guarantees you a right to custody of your kids. A judge can deprive you of visitation and even parental rights if that’s what they deem to be in the best interests of your kids.
Domestic violence is serious enough of a reason for custody to be limited or denied.
How big of an issue is domestic violence in the U.S.?
Data published in the Journal of Family Violence in 2016 captured how 15.5 million American kids witness domestic violence in their homes each year. Many involve violent disputes among parents.
What can you expect immediately after charges are filed?
It’s the court’s responsibility to do whatever is necessary to protect your kids’ health and safety. The judge may deem it appropriate to temporarily revoke your visitation or custody rights in their entirety while your case is pending. The court can also choose to limit how you can spend time with your child, instead, by requiring supervised visitation.
Struggles you may face as you attempt to regain custodial rights
The reinstatement of your visitation or custodial rights isn’t necessarily automatic, no matter what the outcome of your criminal case. A family law judge may require you to complete domestic violence counseling or anger management classes before allowing you any supervised visitation rights. A restraining order may make this impossible, depending on who it protects and how long it remains in effect.
Other factors may affect your ability to regain custody of your kids even if there isn’t a protection order in place and you complete all classes ordered by a judge. A judge will want to ensure that you don’t pose any danger to your child, so anticipate plenty of questions.
How domestic violence charges affect your future and your family
The steps that you take to address the charges that you’re facing can have a significant impact on your future. Don’t leave anything to chance. Align yourself with a domestic violence attorney from the start in your Bloomfield Hills case. Doing so will give you the best chance of remaining in your Michigan children’s lives.
