This is the first of my posts in what will be a series on how drug use impacts Las Vegas, Nevada child custody cases. I decided to write this series due to common questions asked by my clients and because of several misunderstandings people tend to have about how these issues impact their family law case.
I’ll be dealing with several topics which impact Nevada residents. These issues will include:
- How to begin the process of changing custody, due to drug use, in Las Vegas
- Drug-related issues which arise during discovery in cases involving children
- The process of going through trial in a custody matter involving illegal narcotics
If you are concerned that your child’s other parent is using or abusing drugs then you should contact a child custody lawyer immediately.
The Clark County Family Court Judges take drug use very seriously in child custody matters
Nevada’s Clark County Family Courts will award custody based upon the best interests of the child. One factor that the Court will consider, in determining what is in a child’s best interests, is the stability of each parent. If a parent is shown to be using illegal narcotics or other controlled substances then it is unlikely that such a parent would receive even joint custody. When a Las Vegas parent, involved in a child custody dispute, tests positive for drugs then more often than not the Court will require that the using parent only have supervised visitation. This supervised visitation will typically continue until the parent can demonstrate that they have remained drug free for a period of time. In other words, drug use can be the deciding factor in your custody dispute.
Las Vegas child custody matters will be impacted by drug use regardless of the type of drug
The child custody determination in your case will be impacted regardless of the type of drug a parent is found to be using. If a parent is found to be using a harsher substance, such as heroin or methamphetamine, then the Court will almost certainly order supervised visitation for a prolonged period of time, order drug treatment counseling, and require regular drug tests for the foreseeable future. This does not mean, however, that the Court is unconcerned about lesser substances such as marijuana or prescription medications. People often make the mistake of thinking that the law is not concerned about “a little weed” or something they have a prescription for. I say from experience that using these substances can also result in your losing custody of your child.
Contact a Las Vegas child custody lawyer immediately if you are involved in a case where a parent is alleged to be using illegal drugs.