DAILY CUSTODY TIP: Let the spirit guide you! Why church membership might help your custody case.

Getting Godly doesn’t usually affect the results of a child custody case, but occasionally religious faith can have a positive influence. As courts strive to determine what’s in the best interest of the children, they find themselves looking at a number of factors – the best educational interest, the best social and cultural interests, the best financial interests, the best health and safety interests. Another important factor may be what’s in the best religious interests for the children.

Particularly in families that celebrate their religious faith on a regular basis, the parent who upholds the religious values most conspicuously, who maintains church memberships, and promotes faith-based activities is likely to gain an edge in the courtroom proceedings.

Consider, for example, two children raised in the Jewish faith. During the marriage of their parents, the children attend Hebrew school, partake in Hannukah and Passover festivities, and routinely attend events at the local synagogue. After the parents divorce, their father maintains the memberships with the synagogue. Under the stewardship of their father, the children meet with the local rabbi, study for their bar mitzvahs, and continue attending religious holiday dinners and celebrations. Meanwhile, the children’s mother does next to nothing in the way of religious activities after the parties separate.

In such a case, if the issue of religion is established as one of the important considerations in the children’s well-being, then the father’s position will be bolstered by his continuing connection with the Jewish community. Not every family is religious, and getting suddenly religious doesn’t necessary improve one’s chances of gaining custody. But where religion was a genuine aspect of the children’s upbringing, the parent who promotes that aspect best while the parties are separated can often achieve stronger results in custody court.