To say that child custody disputes in Indianapolis can become contentious may be a gross understatement. Oftentimes, the love that divorcing parents have for their children may be matched only by the negative emotions they feel towards each other. The hope is that feuding parents realize that their association will continue due to them having children together, and that such a realization may prompt them to act amicably towards each other. However, the outpouring of emotion that often accompanies child custody disputes may make that next to impossible. What is most unfortunate about such cases is that it is often the children involved that are hurt the most.
Sometimes, that hurt goes beyond emotional pain. A recent shooting in Alabama unfortunately illustrates this point. A young girl was treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder after the dispute involving her custody turned particularly ugly. Her father was arrested after authorities say that he shot at the car carrying her, her mother and several other children. The girl’s mother drove off after the initial shots were fired, but her father continued to shoot at them as their car sped away. Fortunately, no one else in the car was shot, and the girl’s injuries were said to be non-life-threatening. Her father has since been charged with attempted murder.
Many child custody cases may not reach this level of violence, yet the emotional damage that they inflict may be comparable. For those that do become violent, the victims may need to work with authorities to ensure that the proper measures are put in place to protect them. All of the elements needed to ensure that a custody disputes ends peacefully might be more easily secured if one has the assistance of an experienced family law attorney to rely on.
