You’re technically still married, but you’re going through a divorce with your partner. It’s been going on for a few months, and you feel like the relationship was essentially over for years anyway. You’re interested in starting a new relationship and dating someone else.
What you’re worried about is losing custody of your children. You and your ex share children together, and you’re still working out the custody details. Will starting this new relationship impact your rights in any way?
Consider the specifics of the situation
As a general rule, the answer is that starting a new relationship shouldn’t impact your custody rights. Just the mere fact that you’re dating someone doesn’t mean that you can’t be a good parent or that they can’t have a safe and healthy homelife. Your ex may not appreciate that you’ve started this relationship already, but that’s not going to bar you from your rights as a parent.
But what you have to do is consider all of the specifics to see if there’s anything that could be viewed negatively by the courts. After all, the court’s goal is to focus on the child’s best interests.
For instance, if it turns out that your new partner has a criminal record, your ex might bring that up to the court as a reason that the children shouldn’t be allowed to live with you. If the court believes that the child would be unsafe or if that relationship otherwise works against their best interests, then it could impact your rights
You can see how the situation can get complicated, and you just want what’s best for you and your children. Make sure you know what steps to take.
