Articles & advice
Articles and advice on custody disputes
Articles, tips and comments on custody disputes, residence and contact. Written by Advokat Kurage from long experience of custody cases.
5 mistakes that often harm parents in child custody disputes
After many years of handling child custody cases, we see the same mistakes time and again. Read about the five most common mistakes in a child custody dispute – and why your actions today could prove decisive in court.
Where should you focus as a parent in a child custody dispute?
Many parents believe a child custody dispute is about proving how bad the other parent is. The court asks a different question – read about what actually matters.
Part 1: You focus more on the dispute than on your child
Part 1 on common mistakes in child custody disputes: when conflict with the other parent takes over and your child fades into the background – and how family law services and the court view this.
Part 2: Aggressive communication
Part 2 on common mistakes in child custody disputes: how angry texts, emails and accusations can weaken your position with local authority family law services and in court – and why measured, factual communication matters.
Part 3: Lack of documentation
Part 3 on common mistakes in child custody disputes: why documentation carries weight with family law services and in court, which documentation matters and how you can avoid it working against you.
Part 4: Trying to influence your child
Part 4 on common mistakes in child custody disputes: how even subtle attempts to influence your child are viewed by family law services and the courts, and why they can have long-term consequences for your child.
Can a parent obstruct contact? What are the consequences?
What counts as obstructing contact, how do the courts and family law services view it, and what consequences can it have for custody, residence and contact?
A child custody dispute rarely begins in court
How a child custody dispute develops – from co-operation talks with the local authority’s family law service to an application to court, interim orders and a custody assessment – and what the court actually considers.
What is the first step if you are facing a child custody dispute?
What should you do first if a child custody dispute is approaching? Contacting the municipal family law service, information meetings, co-operation talks and preparing in a factual, child-focused way.
Application for a summons – when co-operation talks lead nowhere
What happens when co-operation talks lead nowhere? An overview of applications for a summons, preparatory hearings, interim orders, custody investigations and final hearings.
The preliminary hearing in court
What happens at the preliminary hearing in the district court? Applications, efforts to reach agreement, interim orders on residence, contact and custody – and how you can prepare.
Orders sought in a child custody dispute
What does it mean to seek an order in a child custody dispute? About requests for sole custody, residence, shared residence, contact and interim orders – and why the strategy behind them matters.
Application for sole custody
When might sole custody be appropriate? Joint custody as the starting point, difficulties cooperating, risk factors, credibility and what sole custody actually means.
Contact – the child’s right to a relationship with both parents
Contact is the child’s right, not the parent’s. How courts assess contact, schedules in high-conflict situations, obstruction of contact, contact with a support person and why arrangements may need to change over time.
Applying for your child to live primarily with a particular parent
What does primary residence mean, how does it differ from custody and shared residence, and what does the court consider when deciding where a child should live?
The role of family law services in custody disputes
What do family law services do in a custody dispute? Cooperation talks, preliminary reports ahead of the preparatory hearing, and investigations into custody, residence and contact.
The family law service’s child custody assessment – how does it work?
How does the municipal family law service assess custody, residence and contact? Interviews with parents and children, home visits, information from others, risk assessment and the report to the district court.
The family law service has completed its assessment – what happens next?
What happens when the family law service completes its custody assessment? Reviewing the assessment report, the final statement of evidence and the steps leading to the final hearing and judgment.
The child’s best interests – how does the court approach them?
What do the child’s best interests mean in a custody dispute? Security, stability, the ability to co-operate, risk, the child’s wishes and how parents’ conduct during proceedings influences the court.
What can you submit as evidence in a child custody dispute?
What can you submit as evidence in a child custody dispute? Text messages and emails, witnesses, records of everyday life, recordings, medical evidence and your child’s account.
Psychological aspects of a child custody dispute
How does a child custody dispute affect children psychologically? Stress, conflicts of loyalty, adult responsibilities and the child's best interests from a legal perspective.
The child’s role in a custody dispute
Your child’s wishes matter in a custody dispute, but your child should not bear responsibility for the decision. Read about age, maturity and your child’s right to be heard.
Calling witnesses in a custody dispute? What should you consider?
What should you consider when witnesses give evidence in a custody dispute? We explain which witnesses and questions help the court understand the child’s situation.
The day has arrived – the final hearing
What happens at the final hearing in a child custody dispute? I explain how parents and witnesses give evidence, the custody assessment report and the wait for the district court’s judgment.
What happens after the final hearing? Is it finally all over? What happens if a parent does not comply with the judgment?
What happens after the final hearing in a custody dispute? The judgment, appeals and enforcement when a parent does not comply with the judgment.
What does a child custody dispute “cost”? How can you afford it?
How can you afford a child custody dispute? Read about legal expenses cover under your home insurance, legal aid and the costs you normally have to pay yourself.
Obstructing contact or simply protecting your child?
What is obstruction of contact, and when are there grounds to restrict contact? Documentation, enforcement and the child’s best interests in custody disputes.
How do you obtain sole custody?
How do you obtain sole custody? I explain how the child’s best interests, difficulties in cooperating, violence and other circumstances affect the court’s assessment.
Your choice of legal representative can be crucial in a child custody dispute
Your choice of legal representative matters greatly in a child custody dispute. We explain why experience, trust and a focus on your child’s best interests are important.
A question we have received about a child custody dispute
One child wants to see the other parent, while another refuses. How does the court assess siblings’ differing wishes, and what matters when deciding contact arrangements?
Child maintenance
What is child maintenance (underhållsbidrag), how long must it be paid and what happens if parents disagree? Factual information about child maintenance after a separation.
Want to discuss your case?
Leave your contact details and we will get back to you.