According to the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, each year 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce. A high percentage of marriages that end in divorce involve children. In fact, based on information provided by the United States Census Bureau, nearly 44 percent of custodial mothers and 56 percent of custodial fathers were either divorced or separated in 2003.

Unarguably, child custody is the most important issue in any divorce. Children are a couple's most significant asset whether they realize it or not. Studies have shown that children do much better when both parents are active in their lives. Unfortunately, the process of divorce and broken relationships tend to blur the line of priorities.

If you have lost custody of your children in a divorce, don't give up hope. The courts have the power to modify any existing child custody order to meet the needs of the child and to respond to changes in the parents' lives. A parent seeking to change an existing order through the court must show the conditions have changed substantially since the last order.