Many Americans turn to alcohol as a way to combat stress in an ever-stressful environment. Despite the fact that this does not make for a healthy coping mechanism, more and more people seem to engage in it.
Unfortunately, this also leads to an elevated rate of DUI incidents. In turn, this could seriously impact a parent depending on custody arrangements to see their child.
Damages to physical custody
USA Today discusses the spike in excessive drinking that has occurred over the last few years. Between the stress generated by the world at large and the stress of a divorce, it goes without saying that more people have begun to drink in recent years.
A DUI on record could do some serious damage. If you are currently going through a custody battle, then your DUI will certainly come up and act as a point of consideration as the judge decides what is best for your child. You will likely not get sole custody and may not even get physical custody if you have a DUI on record, even if it is just one.
Legal custody likely fine
However, it is most likely that your legal custody will not end up jeopardized due to one DUI on record. Legal custody gives you the right to stay involved in important decision-making matters regarding your child’s life, such as matters of education, health and religion. Thus, it is still an important part of parenting.
Having a DUI get in the way of how you want custody to look can serve as a major roadblock, though. Thus, it is important to face any DUI charge seriously from the start.
