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Explore General Legal Issues

Primary Caretaker Designation in Custody Battles

by Ralph Griffin

If you are fighting a custody battle, you can get an advantage over your partner by getting the court to recognize you as the primary caretaker. Below are some of the factors that determine the primary caretaker in a home.

Hygiene

One of the critical aspects of caring for a child is to ensure the child is always clean. Cleanliness is not just for aesthetics; it also helps to keep health complications at bay. Therefore, the parent who has always bathed the child, washed their hair, and ensured the child has clean clothes has a leg up on the battle for the primary caretaker designation.

Clothing and Grooming

Food, clothing, and shelter are basic human needs all over the world. Therefore, buying and fixing clothes, shoes, hats, and other forms of clothing are all part of a caretaker's duty. Other duties related to this include trimming hair, cutting nails, and generally making sure the child is well-groomed.

Feeding

As mentioned above, food is a basic need that everyone must-have. Kids can't take care of themselves as far as food is concerned. The caretaker must ensure the child has not only adequate food but also nutritious food that can help the child grow and develop.

Healthcare

No one wants their kid to be sick, but sickness often creeps on people without knocking. Again, a caretaker has to ensure that the child gets well as soon as possible whenever the child falls ill. This includes taking the child to the hospital, settling medical bills, and ensuring the child takes their medicines as necessary. If one parent has been doing most of these tasks for a child, the court is likely to view the parent as the primary caregiver.

Education

Most parents will agree that a good education is one of the best gifts they can give their children. Giving your child a good education includes taking the child to a good school, paying school fees, buying educational materials (such as books), driving the child to school, and helping the child with their homeowner. Proving that you have been doing most of these will help you in your custody battle.

Leisure and Extracurricular Activities

Lastly, extracurricular activities, leisure, and play are also part of life that a child should enjoy. In fact, they help with the social, physical, and emotional development of a child. Thus, enjoying these things with your child can also help you get designated as the primary caretaker.

To learn more about how to fight for custody, contact a child custody lawyer. 

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