Understanding How Moral Fitness Affects Your Custody Battle

If you take a look at Florida’s “best interests of children” as outlined in Section 61.13(3), you’ll see that one of these factors is “moral fitness.” This factor might seem a little confusing, especially since most of the others are relatively straightforward. For example, it’s easy to understand what “geographic viability” or “physical health” means. On the other hand, “moral fitness” is a vague term that could mean many different things. So how exactly does this affect your custody battle, and how do you prove that you have “moral fitness?”

If you have questions like these, it’s probably a good idea to get in touch with a qualified, experienced family law attorney in Orlando. These legal professionals can guide you towards a positive outcome while explaining potentially confusing concepts like “moral fitness.” Book a consultation, and you can share the details of your unique situation. Your lawyer will then provide you with targeted advice before helping you achieve a positive custody outcome.

Why Are the Child’s Best Interests So Important? 

Moral fitness is just one example of a child’s best interests. But why are these factors so important when approaching your custody battle? Essentially, the judge will not consider anything but the child’s best interests, so these are really the only factors that you should be worrying about as you approach your custody battle. The judge will not care about any other factor, including your own personal desires and priorities.

Examples of Moral Fitness 

Moral fitness is best understood by examining a few examples. One of the most common mistakes made by parents is introducing children to new partners before the divorce is fully resolved. This could be considered an instance of poor moral fitness, as it doesn’t take the children’s psychological well-being into account.

Your criminal history might also play a role in the judge’s assessment of your moral fitness. However, the details of your criminal history matter. Certain crimes are obviously much more serious than others. That being said, even numerous driving offenses can affect your custody battle – especially if you committed them with your children in the car.

Anything that happened behind closed doors may also come back to haunt you. Using foul language in front of the children could be considered poor moral fitness, and substance abuse problems might also become a factor. Obviously, any direct actions towards the children are relevant, including abuse, neglect, and domestic violence.

Enlist the Help of a Qualified Attorney Today 

For help from a skilled Orland child custody lawyer, reach out to the office of Steve Marsee, P.A. Over the years, we have helped numerous parents strive for top results when approaching custody battles. We know that there are many factors to consider in regards to the best interests of the child, and we’ll assist you as you take all of these factors into account. Book your consultation today, and start working towards a positive custody outcome.

Resource:

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