Many times during and after a divorce, a parent begins to date again. This can be tricky for many parents who are concerned with how dating may impact their children and any potential North Carolina child custody laws. Here are a few considerations from Capital to Coast NC Law Group, though not an exhaustive list:
- Does this person have a significant criminal past for violence, drugs or alcohol abuse?
- Has this person ever been incarcerated? If so what were the convictions and term of the sentence?
- Has this person ever had addiction issues?
- Has this person ever attended drug or alcohol rehabilitation?
- Has this person been involuntarily committed?
- Has this person been diagnosed with a mental health condition? Are they complying with the terms of their treatment?
- Is this person on probation or parole?
- Does this person currently use illegal drugs?
- Does this person have any limitations with regard to his or her custody (such as do they have to have supervised visitation with their own children), and if so why?
While it can be uncomfortable to ask a new person you have been on a few dates with these questions, you must understand that a good background check or research at the courthouse can easily uncover most of the information referenced above. Not to mention that social media is a treasure trove of negative evidence as well.