The saddest part of parental addiction is the damage that the child(ren) suffer when their parents are actively using and not pursuing recovery. Fractured families struggle to remain together when one or both parents remains addicted to drugs.
If you are a divorced parent who is abusing drugs, you and your children are at risk of grave repercussions if you continue on this path. You could lose your custody rights and even be denied visitation if you refuse to get and stay sober. In the most extreme cases, you could even lose your parental rights completely.
Custody affected when parents are in rehab
To get straight, you need to commit to a stint in detox and rehab. The conundrum here is that it will be necessary to turn over the custody of your kids to your ex or another responsible adult during your stay in a rehab facility.
That’s a scary prospect. Any family law attorney will tell you that once another person has custody of your children, it can be an uphill battle to regain your rights. But the good news is that the goal of the Illinois family law courts is to reunify parents with their children whenever that is possible.
Decisions guided by kids’ best interests
All the decisions the courts make regarding your children are made with their best interests foremost in mind. Responsible parents need to acknowledge that their custody situation is untenable with their ongoing battles with addiction. Yes, this is a difficult decision, but the courts tend to look favorably on parents who are proactive about seeking help. They will consider favorably all sincere efforts you make to regain your sobriety. You have the power to turn the situation around, but you need to take action.
Newly sober parents typically get another chance to rebuild their lives with their children once they are sober and as long as they remain involved in an ongoing recovery program. You and your family law attorney can work together to present a credible case for you to regain custody of the kids once you have addressed your substance abuse issues.
