There are different burdens of proof for criminal and civil cases in the US. For a criminal case (to send someone to prison) the plaintiff needs to prove their

There are different burdens of proof for criminal and civil cases in the US. For a criminal case (to send someone to prison) the plaintiff needs to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, meaning there is no other plausible explanation. For a civil case, the plaintiff needs to show a preponderance of evidence, meaning their version of the events is merely more likely than not. I believe the latter standard applies to custody as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden_of_proof_(law)#Standard_of_proof_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden_of_proof_(law)#Standard...