As a parent, your top priority will be to protect the interests of your child at all costs. If you share custody of your child with their other parent or if your child visits their other parent regularly, you will, of course, be invested in their safety and well-being when they are not in your care.
If you have a reason to be concerned about your child’s well-being and safety when they are in the other parent’s care, you will need to take action so that something can be done about this. To successfully modify the custody agreement, it will probably be necessary to show that the other parent is unfit.
What is the definition of an unfit parent?
The exact definition of an unfit parent can differ slightly under the law, but certain grounds would always deem a parent unfit. For example, if the parent abuses, neglects or abandons their child, they are not fit to be a parent. All children deserve to have their basic physical and emotional needs met. This means that as well as being given food, clothing and safe accommodation, they must also be provided with the love and emotional care that they require.
How can I be successful in modifying child custody?
If you take action to raise the issue with the child custody courts, they will take many different factors into account to determine what would be in the child’s best interests. If you can show that the child would benefit if you gained full custody, you are likely to be successful.
You should take action to ensure that your child is kept safe and is protected from abuse or neglect.