In his seminal self-help book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie wrote, “By fighting you never get enough, but by yielding you get more than you expected.” This is very wise advice. Carnegie, a very successful businessman, warns us that if we engage in conflicts, we will never be satisfied with the results and that we can achieve so much more just by giving in a little.
But as sage as this advice may be, it can be very difficult to embrace when you are in the midst of contentious child custody negotiations. Because you love your child so much, it is easy to succumb to emotions if you believe your child’s other parent is being unreasonable. This is especially true if you think that his or her actions are merely a ploy to exact revenge.
At such stressful times, it is best to remember that if you and the other parent cannot create a mutually satisfactory agreement, a judge will work out the details for you. As such, you may end up with a parenting plan that is less to your liking than one that you could have negotiated prior to going into court.
At the Law Office of Michael D. Tracton, we place an emphasis on getting custody terms that are as favorable as possible for parents and their children. We can help you with the negotiation process, which will hopefully yield amenable terms. However, if there is no way to effectively negotiate with the other parent, we can represent your interests in court. For more information on our approach to custody cases, please take a look at the child custody page on this website.