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Ex-Convicts & Child Custody: How To Prove You're Reformed And Able To Care For Your Child

8 February 2016

Deann Miles

If you were previously convicted of a criminal offense and are now facing a child custody battle with your ex-partner, you're likely wondering how your criminal record will affect your odds of receiving custody. When it comes to ex-convicts and child custody, it's important that you can prove you're reformed and are a healthy, stable parent for your child. Below are three ways in which you can prove that you're more than your previous criminal convictions and receive the custody that will benefit you and your child.

Get Into Contact With Your Probation Officer

Whether you're still under probation or not, getting into contact with your probation officer can give you the opportunity to prove that you've come a long way from where you once were. 

A probation officer can offer themselves as a witness during the child custody trial. Your officer, whether former or present, can testify to your reformation and provide the courts with documentation that you successfully completed your probation program. Your probation officer's testimony will be especially helpful if you were a model citizen during your time on probation and followed all of the court's recommendations to the letter.

Provide Proof of Gainful Employment

A criminal record can make it difficult for you to obtain stable employment. If you're gainfully employed, it's important to provide the courts with a record of your employment and financial stability so as to show the judge that your previous conviction will not get in the way of you providing for your child.

While financial stability is considered in all child custody cases, proof of steady employment can be doubly helpful for those with previous criminal offenses. The testimony of your boss and co-workers can also prove helpful in your case. If they can attest to your good character, it can only help you to better prove your reformation.

Enlist the Help of a Family Law Attorney 

If you're facing a custody battle where your ex-partner is out to prove that your past conviction will affect how you can care for your child now, it's best that you enlist the help of a family law attorney who will help you to fight for your parental rights. 

It's unfortunate that a past mistake can have such a huge impact on your and your child's lives, but with the help of an attorney, you can minimize those impacts and get the custody you deserve. An experienced family law attorney can help you to provide the proof you need to the courts that you're no longer a convict, but instead that you're an upstanding citizen who deserves the chance to raise their own child. Your attorney will know exactly what forms of proof the family courts are looking for, such as clean drug screens if your crime was drug-related and character witnesses to attest to your changed nature. If you're an ex-con who thinks that your criminal past will get in the way of your odds of getting custody, you can't afford not to hire an attorney. 

To learn more about how your past criminal conviction may affect your child custody case, consult with your family law attorney. Go to websites like http://www.scottandscottlaw.com for more information.

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