Cohabitation during custody change - good or bad?

North Carolina Divorce Law Divorce and Separation Answers
1

My ex and I have been divorced for over a year and a half and have one child between us. We divorced immediately before moving because my ex had found a job here. At the time of divorce, we agreed on 50/50 custody and visitation, and since neither of us had incomes to report, no child support was assigned to either parent. Now there is a substantial difference in income between myself and my ex and I am in the process of trying to get child support for my daughter, and possibly seeking a larger portion of custody and visitation as well.

Enough back story, here’s the meat of the question - I have been cohabitating for over a year with my boyfriend who moved to NC to have a serious relationship with me. Is this going to be a risk toward my case against my ex? And if so, would having him move out now positively or negatively affect the situation?

2

I should also mention that my ex has a girlfriend who spends the night on a frequent basis, despite only dating for a few months, but they do not live together all the time to my knowledge.

My boyfriend claims that a judge would see him as contributing to the financial and emotional stability of the home, but I don’t know if that is true in this state.

3

Whether your cohabitation will be a negative impact on your child custody case requires a lot further analysis than the simple facts that you have given me below. You should have a consultation with an attorney in your area to discuss your case, the impact of cohabitation, and how to best deal with any negative consequences before the matter goes to court.