Your marriage hasn’t been good for a while, but you and your spouse tried to make it work. You went to therapy, saw marriage counselors, and even tried adjusting your schedules to spend more time together doing the things you love. In the end, it seems like you’ve just grown apart.
When you decide it’s time to get a divorce, you need to immediately make some decisions about your life from now on. Things like your child’s custody schedule or the possession of your home have to be addressed quickly, since these decisions affect you immediately. In the event you and your spouse are unable come to at least an initial temporary agreement, then the court can enter temporary orders.
Temporary custody orders work because they are only meant to be placeholders. Sometimes we refer to these agreements or orders as a “bandaid” because they don’t fully resolve the issue, but they can help. These temporary custody orders are made to quickly and temporarily resolve issues pertaining to child custody, such as which parent will have the children when, who have decision making authority, etc. The same issues will be discussed further in additional hearings and be negotiated during your divorce, so the temporary order is only intended to help in the short term.
It’s important to talk to your attorney about what a temporary child custody order means for your divorce. Since the hearing can happen quickly after filing for custody, you need to know what you want and what you belive is in your children’s best interests – at least in the short term. But remember, if you can reach an agreement without the assistance of a judge, you’ll probably be happier, because it’s possible the judge will make a decision you don’t necessarily agree with.
If you’re not sure where to begin, contact Schmitz Law at 336-714-2380 or by completing our online contact form to schedule a consultation with one of our child custody attorneys.
This article is not intended to give, and should not be relied upon for, legal advice in any particular circumstance or fact situation. No action should be taken in reliance upon the information contained in this article without obtaining the advice of an attorney.