Little do they know that they are not the only ones who are victims of this tension but the kids who are left with no other choice to accept the decision that their parents made. Although your love for your kids fuels your desire to get them, this should not be enough reason to make them as a form of sacrifice while hurting them on the process. This can be done out of court or through alternative dispute resolution service such as a mediator. Temporary custody If there is no agreement between the parents, a temporary child custody schedule may be ordered by a judge. In some counties, judges rely on the opinion of the mediator. Sometimes, a child custody evaluator reports to the judge his findings, which sometimes include an interview with the child. Do not pretend that nothing is going on your children deserves to know the truth especially if it will concern them in the future. Also, avoid showing your children that you are bitter about the situation and blaming your ex-spouse in front of them. Be honest, but explain the situation in positive terms. In the hearings, the judge will hear the arguments from both parties. If the decision is not in your favor, you can always make an appeal. If the higher court upholds the decision, accept it and be contented with the visitation rights granted to you. To sum it up, here are the basic steps you have to follow when filing for custody of your child: Choose the type of custody you will file for (e. Aside from the Internet, you can also read a lot of parenting magazines where there are feature stories on legal issues that concerns any family such as child custody. Here, you can read first hand information from people who have done it themselves so you will learn how will you get started on your own child custody battle. You can use the Internet to get more information about that. Doing an online research can help you predict what will happen based on the similar cases you have read. It can also pitch you some ideas on what legal actions you can take if your ex-spouse is not following the custody and visitation order made by the court.