Alcohol plays a part in most of our lives, whether it is having a beer at a sporting event or going to a weekly happy hour. The prevalence of alcohol consumption makes it obvious that it could play a role in a divorce. If you have a problem with alcohol, you may be worrying about the impact it may have on your child custody case.
Unfortunately, booze may not reveal your best self. Your drinking may cause or contribute to problems in your marriage, including how you raise your kids. Is all hope lost for getting custody? Read below to learn how alcohol may affect your custody battle.
Best interests of your children
The main aspect of all child custody cases is the best interests of the kids. This means all decisions about custody and visitation depend on what will promote happiness, security and mental health in your children. The court will likely consider whether there is any substance abuse. While courts generally do not prefer to separate a parent from his or her kids, it may have concerns if the kids will not have a stable environment.
Severity of your alcohol problem
Just because you consume alcohol does not mean you will automatically lose all visitation or custody rights. If you are a recovering alcoholic who is demonstrating responsibility and sobriety, you have a great chance of securing a good outcome. However, if your drinking interferes with the relationships you have with your kids, or you are not able to manage your addiction, you may have more trouble getting a favorable outcome. The court may only allow you to have supervised visitations.
Figuring out your divorce and what will happen to your children is understandably stressful. If you have concerns about how a diagnosis of or treatment for alcoholism may impact your custody rights, you should speak to an attorney.