If you are an unmarried parent living in Iowa, your relationship with your child may be divided based on the custody laws in Iowa. This can have a large impact on you personally and professionally, particularly if you work in the construction industry.
Iowa custody laws for unmarried parents can affect your relationship with your child even if you aren’t married to the child’s other parent. There’s a lot of touchy territory to navigate in this situation, including dealing with the law when your partner is controlling, advocating for your rights in court or outside of it, and managing respect between yourself and your partner as you work toward resolving custody concerns.
Even unmarried parents who are just getting started in their careers may face serious career problems if they can’t efficiently and respectfully navigate custody concerns. For instance, if you work in the construction industry, you may be expected to travel to various sites by your employer. You may also spend long hours at work, leaving you with little time to spend with the child in question.
It’s important for you to consider the long-term care of your child. In some situations, courts will feel it’s better for the child’s wellbeing if he or she has a primary caregiver, meaning that perhaps only you or your partner is allowed to spend real time with the child. Some unwed parents will run into situations where one partner is not allowed to see their child.
Unfortunately, sending the child to the primary caregiver may mean that the other partner will lose their job in the construction industry as they will be unable to work on job sites when the child needs looking after. This can cause serious financial instability at home.
From the beginning of your relationship, you should consult with a lawyer who understands how to navigate the laws pertaining to unmarried parents in Iowa. You need to know exactly how the law will treat your child’s situation so that you can look out for your child’s wellbeing while also considering what is best for your family from a work perspective.