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  4.  – The Nuts and Bolts of Creating a Strategic “Plan B” in a Divorce or Child Custody Battle (Part 2)

The Nuts and Bolts of Creating a Strategic “Plan B” in a Divorce or Child Custody Battle (Part 2)

On Behalf of | Feb 23, 2014 | Child Custody and Visitation

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In a previous post, we discussed why coming up with a “Plan B” can be a tremendously productive exercise, if you’re going through a California divorce or child custody negotiation. You want to have extra options, in case your original, ideal plan falls through. As General (and later President) Dwight Eisenhower famously once opined: “plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”

With that prologue, let’s analyze how to build a sound Plan B.

Let’s assume that your Plan A is to win your child custody case, move out of California, and live near your parents, so they can help you take care of your child. Your Plan A gives you clues about how to develop a Plan B. First, identify the fundamental needs that would be met if Plan A succeeded. For instance:

•    The need to be around family after a stressful relationship;
•    The need to make a new start;
•    The need to make sure your daughter grows up in a place that’s clean and safe;
•    The need to find gainful employment;
•    The need to be done with painful drama;
•    The need to see to your daughter regularly;
•    The need to have the means and wherewithal to take care of your daughter and yourself.

These needs are fundamental and very human. The strategy of “leaving California to return home and live near your parents” might meet all of them. But there could be other strategies to meet those core needs – and therein lies your basis for developing a Plan B.

For instance, let’s say you lose the child custody negotiation and need to stay in California, if you want to see your daughter regularly. You could meet your need for support and family by inviting your parents to move out and/or stay with you for a few months.

Working through this exercise can help, but odds are that you need substantial, dynamic assistance with your case. Connect with our seasoned legal team today to discuss your options.