The other day I had a woman call me who was looking for full custody of her kids with the right to make all of the parenting decisions.  Usually when I get a request like this it comes from a very involved parent whose ex is not around or is abusive to the kids.  In this case though, she admitted that the Dad spent a ton of time with the kids and while he was a good Dad, he apparently is a real jerk to her.

In Illinois, to get the full custody she wants, she would have to show that it’s in the best interests of her kids.  I asked her what the argument would be that this would be best for her kids and the only thing that she could come up with was, “it would make their mom less crazy to not have to deal with him anymore.”

Most divorced people don’t like being around their ex, but that’s not a reason to end someone’s parental rights.  I told her that if we found a lawyer for her and they filed the case, the attorney would be stealing money from her.  I can’t in good conscience make a recommendation because it’s not the right thing to do.

This didn’t set well with her and she unfortunately started to cry.  But it’s my job to be honest with people that call me, even if that means I tell you the opposite of what you want to hear.  There are many lawyers that will say whatever the client wants them to.  That does nobody any good.  And if you are looking for that type of attorney you should look elsewhere.  We don’t promise results, but we do promise to always tell it like it is.