Child Custody Lawyers For Fathers – Child Custody Lawyers For single Fathers, Child custody for fathers know your rights, Mothers rights vs fathers rights, One of the most important and perhaps the toughest things to deal with after a divorce is the matter of child custody. However the divorce may have panned out, whether amicable, horrid, or consensual, when it comes to taking custody of the child, parents are often at loggerheads. However, it must be remembered that the most important thing to remember when thinking about managing divorce and divorce custody battles, is that the child is often one of the worst affected in case of a divorce. Unfortunately, the common thought is that mothers are better guardians to children, and this position may be taken by child custody lawyers for mothers as well as courts. However, the mother may be incapable, unwilling, or unable to care for the child correctly and adequately. In such a situation, undoubtedly, the father has to step in and ensure the security of the child. Now, with the help of social security administration, children can get a social security benefit for a disabled parent.
Highlights of this Post
What Do I, As A Father, Need To Consider Taking The Custody Of My Child?
- Out of love for your child: first and foremost, the love for your child should be one of the primary reasons that you should attempt to contest for custody for your child. You do not want to give your child (especially a young child) the impression that you are okay with them not being close to you, or with them going away.
- In case the mother is incapable, unwilling, or irresponsible: In many situations, although mothers are looked at as the natural guardian of children, mothers often treat their children terribly. Perhaps she is a drug addict or having an adulterous relationship with someone who is not safe for your child to be around. In such scenarios, you must do what you can and attempt to take custody.
- To ensure financial support for the child: Especially in situations wherein the mother does not earn, or does not earn enough, ensuring a financially stable environment for the child may be difficult for the mother. In such a scenario, you must do your bit like the father and take custody of your children to ensure their future.
- For their safety: Especially in cases of child abuse, drug abuse, or other such similar occurrences, it is not only inappropriate for the child to continue to live with their mother, but also downright unsafe. In such a scenario, as a father, you must contest for custody.
How do I as a father win child custody?
Unfortunately, custody battles can often be long-drawn and complicated legal battles that you may not be able to win unless you have sufficient information about the process and the law. In such a scenario, the best way for you to move forward would be to take the requisite steps to be able to win custody. Here are some of the factors that you must consider.
Be focussed on the issue of custody from the very beginning
One of the first and the most important things that you must-do if you want to take custody of your child as a father is to ensure that you take the entire process seriously from the get-go. There is no place for the last minute, hasty plan and if you think you can pull it all off in the end, you might be sorely mistaken. If you want to retain primary custody, you should make this very clear from the beginning and take the requisite steps to make this come true. You should be able to understand and articulate the needs of your child, and also ensure that you can provide a safe environment for your child.
Seeking help from best fathers rights attorney
The second, and the most important thing, if not the most important step that you should take is to involve lawyers. Lawyers are not only aware of the entire scenario that you will be facing, but will also be aware of the legal provisions, and how to work them to ensure that you retain the custody of your child. If your partner has a lawyer, that is all the more a reason as to why you should ensure that you engage one. When one side is represented by someone who knows legal provisions and another side is not, then the obvious benefit is conferred upon the side with a lawyer. Therefore, ensure that you get legal representation!
Clearly, as a lawyer, you love your child and the last thing you would like is for your child to be taken away from you because of your divorce – however, without legal representation in your custody battle, this is a very real possibility. It is not sufficient to have good intentions in the case of custody, but also need someone who, from a legal perspective, can convince the courts that it is best for the child to be able to live with you – something that your lawyer can do effectively.
In such a scenario, ensure that you enlist the help of a lawyer who has practised, or has knowledge on custody battles or family law. They are more likely to have advanced knowledge of how the courts work, and what are the important aspects that one must remember in a custody battle. While you can ask questions and the attorney must be able to answer them for you to the level of satisfaction that you seek, remember to also trust your attorney.
Stick to the child custody issue fully
There are many times that the court may order that the custody of the child has to be shared between both the parents in a 50-50 proportion. However, in situations where you think this may hurt your child, this is not at all an ideal option. In such a scenario, you must be very clear and insist upon full custody of your child, if that is what you are seeking. Furthermore, you might be tempted to discuss child support at this stage itself, especially if you earn more than the partner you are divorcing. However, if you are expecting and seeking full custody over your child, any attempt to reduce the amount of child custody you want to pay can be seen against your arguments for full custody.
If you want to be reasonable, consider sharing custody
Every parent wants the best for their child, and unless your partner is likely to affect and hurt your child, the truth is that the child is likely to do better with the company of both of its parents. Further, the fact that both of you are willing to work together to ensure the best future of the child indicates to the child that he or she is important to you, and hence, the struggles that come from divorce can be somewhat managed. If this is ordered by the court, ensure that you cooperate with the mother and try to create a reality wherein the best possible is done for your child!
Why are dads important?
People always assume that only the mother is important, but the father is also a tremendously important influence in the life of a child. A child’s life without a father is tremendously more in turmoil, and it may be harder to find and emulate a positive male role model for the child in the absence of a father. Therefore, while biologically, mothers seem more important, the fathers are equally important in the upbringing of a child, their futures, and ensuring their safety. Numerous studies have shown that children are more likely to engage in mal-adaptive behaviour or be at higher risk for antisocial activities if they are brought up in a home without the presence of a father. Here are some of the things that can happen without a dad:
Being reckless
One of the first things any of us learn from other fathers is discipline. They teach us to follow rules and regulations and teach us the importance of being obedient as well. Without the father in the home, while this may not necessarily be true, the authority figure of the home being missing may amount to larger amounts of indiscipline and reckless behaviour. Further, the mother may not want to be tremendously harsh with the child, which may range from anything from minor acts of indiscipline to other extremely maladaptive social behaviours such as drug abuse, etc. Both from the perspective of the future of the child, as well as to ensure the stability of the community that they belong to, and in the larger interest of the society as a whole, the presence of a father is greatly helpful.
May drop out of school
While the effectiveness of advanced degrees can be questioned, no one can deny the importance of high school education. Dropping out of high school is one of the worst things that any child can do in terms of their career prospects, and for ensuring a safe and peaceful life in society. Now, while there is no guarantee that the child will not drop out of high school solely because there is a father at home, it is more than likely that if such a scenario is to occur, the father will ensure that the child goes back to school. Furthermore, if the dropping out is due to a financial burden that the child believes he or she should work to settle, this is better dealt with the presence of a father in the house.
More likely to commit domestic violence
Domestic violence is more common in households where the child has witnessed or been a victim of domestic violence, and hence the cycle goes on and on. If there is a family where the father is respectful of his wife, teaches his children on how to behave, how important values are, and how to be fair, equitable, and just, it is less likely that such a child will ever engage in domestic violence in the future.
Teen crimes by adolescents or children from fatherless households
Now while it is unfair to say that it is only the children without a father who is likely to commit crimes, or that children without fathers are somehow ‘bad’, the statistic truth demonstrates that children who come from families without a father are at a higher risk of committing juvenile crimes. Influenced by a variety of factors, including the lack of a stable and safe environment, these children take to a path of crime.
How to proceed to obtain child custody through a lawyer – for fathers
Now, unfortunately, whichever way you look at it, the mother has it much easier when contesting for custody. Especially in cases where the father is seeking sole custody of the child, it may be tremendously difficult for him to win. In such a scenario, the father will have to not just plan effectively, but also in advance as to how to assert his paternity and ensure that he retains the custody of his child. While different states have different laws on paternity or custody, lawyers are likely to be aware of the rules and the regulations in your state. Various factors, such as the consent of the child, the rules in place, the environment that you seek to bring up the child in, etc can make a difference as to whether or not you can win the custody struggle. Therefore, ensure that you do your research and keep all the facts of your specific situation ready while visiting the lawyer, to ensure that they can apply the best legal defence possible.
Child Support, Visitation, and Custody
Child support refers to usually a monetary payment, can either be periodic or lump-sum, for the benefit of the child. In cases where you do not have the custody of the child, you may be required to pay child support in favour of your children. This is more so in situations wherein one parent earns more than another, the child is with the parent that is earning less. Visitation refers to be able to physically visit your child, while the other parent retains the custody of your child. Custody refers to you having your child with you. Usually, various factors are considered by the family court and depending on the wishes of the child (should such child be old enough to decide), or various other factors, the court may award either visitation or custody, or make an order for you to be required to pay child support. Ensure that you get a lawyer who clearly understands and knows what you seek, and how to apply the laws in a manner that will help you put your best case forward.
Conclusion
Therefore, as anyone knows, custody is one of the things that are most deeply contested in a divorce proceeding. If you think that your child will do better and be safer being with you, ensure that you as the father do everything in your power to retain the custody of your child. You can do so effectively only with the help of legal help, so ensure that you retain a qualified attorney for your custody battles. This will help you ensure that you receive a favourable outcome. Read more legal grants and other grants at Getgovtgrants