Orange County Child Custody Mistakes: All You Need to Know

By Nina L. Kovach

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Child Custody

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Last Modified on Oct 21, 2025

Parents face many challenges when it comes to child custody cases. Interacting with your former spouse may not be comfortable, but it is necessary for your child’s best interest and to ensure that you are not making mistakes that will impact or limit access to your child. At Kovach Family Law, we can help you avoid Orange County child custody mistakes.

Common Child Custody Mistakes

Many factors can impact your ability to see your child. Here are some of the common child custody mistakes people make in Orange County:

• Not spending enough time with your child before or after a child custody case: Following child support orders is important to maintain custody. Spending time with your child is imperative for their development and parental bond. Failure to spend enough time with your child can lead to them not being comfortable in your presence.Your co-parent may also pursue legal action against you if they believe your lack of parenting time is negatively impacting your child. It is important that you keep your scheduled time with your child to take full advantage of interacting and doing activities they enjoy. This helps strengthen your bond with your child and allows for a better relationship.
• Making major life decisions that impact your child: When making major life decisions, you should keep your child’s best interests in mind. Moving out of state for a new job may be appealing if it helps your living situation, but it may not be an appropriate choice for your child.Uprooting a child from their home and school can have detrimental outcomes, especially if there is shared custody in place. Making major life decisions that impact your child is a common mistake that parents make in Orange County. When you hire a child custody lawyer, they can help you work through child custody modifications if necessary.
• Failing to pay child support: Child support is a contentious topic for many who are ordered to pay it. Even if you feel you are paying too much in support, it is important not to stop payments. Failing to pay child support ordered by the Family Law Division of the Orange County Superior Court can lead to you losing access to your child or facing legal charges.In California, fathers are estimated to receive only 32.8% of custody time. This could be far less for a father who refuses to pay the required support. If you have gone through a hardship, it is important to hire a lawyer to help modify a child support order. Until a new order is made by the court, it is important to continue to pay child support.

Hire a Child Custody Lawyer 

Hiring an Orange County child custody attorney is important to avoid making any mistakes that could harm your custody case or to help you make changes to your child custody order. When hiring a child custody lawyer, make sure the attorney you choose is familiar with California child custody laws.

You can ask about other child custody cases they have worked on and their outcomes. Contact Kovach Family Law to work with a lawyer who can make sure you and your child’s needs are met. With close to 60 years of combined legal experience, our team is ready to serve you.