Child custody battles in Missouri can be a real headache. Especially, when one parent is financially more well-off than the other. While money will not necessarily give them the upper hand in the courtroom, it does mean that with money not being an issue, this parent can continue to appeal rulings and drag the case out in court.
Recently, one parent came out talking about her own child custody battle. In her case, she ended up finally giving up. Primary custody was awarded to her wealthy ex.
In this case, giving up was certainly the last thing she wanted to do. But after coming to the realization that her ex was just going to keep appealing any courtroom decisions he did not like, she gave in. Her ex was given custody of their son.
For Missouri fathers who are reading this, there are some lessons to be learned. The first is that while this mother eventually did decide to stop the custody battle, this was also a case where the child was in a safe environment with his father. If for some reason abuse issues were at play, she would have kept fighting.
Additionally, in cases where custody is not evenly split, fathers should not take this as a complete loss. Rather, now is the time to focus on having a fair visitation schedule. Not having primary custody is not the same as not having any rights as a father.
In the end, keep in mind that going through a custody battle is an emotionally trying time. This is not to say parents should just give up, rather it is just a realistic expectation.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Custody Battles: Are They Worth the Fight,” Pauline Gaines, May 7, 2013
