5 Reasons why a parent may lose custody of a child

“How can a parent may lose custody of a child?” This question is entirely valid that you may be asking yourself, especially if you are in the middle of a custody battle with the child’s other parent.

Protecting your child from your former partner through a custody battle can be emotionally draining. However, knowing what could cause a parent to lose custody of a child may help you retain custody of your child.

The following is a list of reasons why a parent may lose custody of their child or children:

Physical Abuse

Physical child abuse is taken very seriously and is the most common reason for parents to lose custody of their children. Evidence is generally easier to come by as children may show proof of bruising, burns, or another scarring.

Physical child abuse may be the result of a mentally ill parent, a parent with anger management issues, or even a parent who doesn’t know where to draw the light between corporal punishment and abuse. Sexual abuse also falls under this category. Any sexual acts or indecent exposure involving a child are clear grounds for losing custody.

Child Neglect

Child neglect is another common reason for a parent to lose custody of a child. Child neglect is a parent’s failure to meet the basic and essential needs of a child. If a parent denies their child adequate nutrition, shelter, hygiene, warmth, supervision, and medical care, that parent may be guilty of child neglect. This list is by no means exhaustive but instead gives a general sense of what can be considered child neglect.

Grounds to lose custody based solely on child neglect depends on the severity of the negligence — chances of losing custody increase with repeated offenders.

Abduction

Child abduction is another common reason for parents to lose custody of their children. Parental child abduction is defined as one parent taking or hiding their child from the other parent, therefore denying one parent their right to see their child.

A parent can have many reasons for abducting their child ranging from fearing for their child’s safety, to merely wanting to spite the other parent. Parental child abduction, regardless of intention, is illegal. Depending on the severity, history, and essence of the abducting, this could be ground for losing child custody.

Domestic Violence

Cases of domestic violence may lead to questions of child custody. The problem with these cases is often whether or not the abusive parent is dangerous enough to be considered a threat to the child.

The severity of proven acts of domestic violence can not only affect who, if any party, gets custody of the child, but can also impact visitation rights or even warrant a restraining order.

Violation of Child Custody Order

For one parent to violate a child custody order may impact whether or not they could lose custody of that child. The nature and extent of the violation will influence whether the court will take custody away from the offending parent.

If a parent violates a child custody order, the other parent should consult a family lawyer to discuss potential actions that can be taken against the offending parent.

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People photo created by jcomp