Divorce custody battles are often a good example of the statement, “It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” Many people feel this way about their divorce. They want more than a fair and equitable dissolution of their marriage and a custody arrangement that is in the best interests of their children.

They want a divorce that proves their superiority to their former spouse, and they will use every tool in family law, especially child custody rules, to defeat their ex.

In these divorces, the child custody issue is going to be contentious. The court will approach the subject in light of the statutory factors. It is important to note that while the factors may appear as a checklist, it is up to the discretion and judgment of the court how to weigh each one.

The factors are broad and somewhat vague, allowing broad interpretation as to how they apply to your specific divorce case. This means that if your spouse has the resources to hire experts and engage in nasty litigation, you may find yourself exhausted, both emotionally and economically.

If you find yourself ensnared in this type of litigation if you are fighting for your child, or simply to prove something to your former spouse. There is no victory in ruining your finances and your child’s college fund. The problem may be that you are too close to the raw emotions to be able to effectively analyze the situation.

This is when the professional experience of your attorney can help, providing insight in how to proceed. They can help you avoid internecine warfare that benefits no one.