Avoid These Mistakes in Your Child Custody Case

 Posted on July 22, 2025 in Child Custody

When a relationship between parents breaks down, sorting out child custody can be a major ordeal. Sometimes, parents are unable to set personal grievances aside for the sake of their children, which can lead to highly contested proceedings. If you need help resolving a contested case, consider working with a Wheaton, IL family law attorney.

At Roberts PC, we have decades of experience working with parents one-on-one in highly sensitive legal matters. You can trust us to provide you with honest counsel during your case, whether you are seeking sole or joint custody. We also offer our clients a direct line of communication with our lead attorney for any questions that come up.

Three Common Mistakes Parents Make in Custody Cases

Parental Alienation

In Illinois, parental alienation refers to an attempt by a parent to sabotage the child’s relationship with the other parent. It can include different behaviors, such as:

• Telling malicious lies about the other parent

• Coaching the child to speak against the other parent

• Telling a child inappropriate or private details about the divorce

• Encouraging the child to "choose" one parent

If you are accused of parental alienation, it could have a real effect on the custody proceedings. When considering the child’s best interests, the judge may factor in each parent’s ability to foster the child’s relationship with the other parent. A finding of parental alienation could be used as a reason to restrict your custody rights.

Going Straight to Litigation

If there is no love left between you and your spouse, you may be tempted to reject any attempts at negotiation outside of court. However, this can end up being more traumatic for a child than agreeing to participate in alternative dispute resolution like mediation. In fact, judges often order parents to attend mediation during a divorce.

If you are ordered to attend mediation, be sure to use the opportunity to discuss how you and your ex will effectively raise your child together. This means showing up and making an honest effort to engage in a dialogue with your spouse, which the mediator will assist with.

The exception to this piece of advice is if your ex is violent or dangerous in some way. In this case, proceeding to litigation may be the smartest choice for your own safety.

Posting on Social Media During Your Divorce

Do not think that your social media accounts will be excluded from the court’s scrutiny. Many parents end up damaging their own custody cases through their online presence. Publicly badmouthing your ex, for instance, could be viewed in a negative light by a judge who will be looking at the level of conflict between the parents. During the divorce proceedings, it may be best to avoid posting altogether until your custody order is finalized.

Contact a Wheaton, IL Child Custody Lawyer

Making a small mistake in your child custody case could have massive implications for your parental rights. To protect yourself, work with one of our Lisle, IL family law attorneys. To schedule a free consultation with Roberts PC, call our offices at 630-668-4211 today.