It can be devastating for a parent to lose custody of his or her children. The parent may go through the stages of grief after the court ruling, including denial, anger, and depression. Before giving up hope, talk to a Michigan child custody lawyer. There could be things that you can do to regain your child custody rights.

Four Ways to Improve Your Chance of Regaining Custody Rights

1. Hire an Experienced Child Custody Lawyer

If you did not have an attorney during the initial court case, you need one now. A custody attorney understands the law and how to use the laws to protect your legal rights. Your attorney begins by researching the original case to determine if a legal error resulted in the loss of custody. If so, you might have grounds for appealing the custody decision.

2. Follow the Court Order

Obey all terms and conditions of the court orders in your case. If you are ordered to attend classes, you need to enroll promptly and complete the classes. If you are not permitted to contact your child except through supervised visitation, avoid the urge to break the rules. Always pick up and return your child on time for visitation. Don't miss visitations with your child. Breaking the terms of a court order can make it much more difficult to regain custody rights.

3. Take Parenting Classes and Other Self-Improvement Classes

The court might order you to take certain classes, depending on why you lost custody rights. If you lost custody rights because of a drug or alcohol problem, the judge might order you to complete a treatment program. Parents with anger management issues are often ordered to take an anger management course. In some cases, a general parenting court might be required. 

Even if the judge does not order you to take a course, completing a parenting course or other courses could work in your favor. Talk to your attorney before enrolling in courses if the court has not ordered you to do so.

4.  Avoid Conflicts with Your Child's Other Parent or Guardian

You may feel resentment toward your child's other parent or guardian. It is natural when you lose custody rights to blame the other parent, the judge, or another party. However, it is more productive to look within yourself to identify reasons why you might have lost custody rights. Were there reasons that the court found that you should not be awarded custody rights? If so, work on those issues instead of blaming another party.

Make sure that you cooperate with your ex-partner. If you believe you have a valid complaint, talk to your attorney. Avoid the urge to argue with your child's other parent or speak negatively about him or her to anyone, especially your child. This behavior can only hurt your chance of regaining custody rights.

Contact a Michigan Child Custody Attorney Now to Discuss Your Case

Your first step in regaining custody rights is to talk to an experienced Michigan child custody attorney. An attorney gives you a realistic explanation of why you lost custody and then works with you to develop a workable strategy for getting your custody rights restored. Contact Michigan divorce attorney Cameron C. Goulding today.