The days of mothers receiving sole legal custody in New York divorce cases are long gone. Fathers now have equal rights when it comes to parenting responsibilities and privileges. However, it can be a serious challenge for a father, during divorce, to be given joint custody with a mother, or sole legal custody over an irresponsible, alcoholic, or even abusive mother that should not be given any custody rights in the first place. For many fathers, the custody battle is one fought uphill, which is why working with a professional Columbia County fathers’ rights lawyer is so crucial. The family law attorneys of the Colwell Law Group hold nothing back when it comes to defending your rights and working tirelessly for all of our clients’ best interests.
Mothers are not the sole bearers of responsibilities when it comes to child-raising these days. Fathers play an important role in their children’s lives, and deserve to play just as big a role after divorce, or whether or not they were ever married to their child’s mother. According to the Pew Research Center, fathers are more involved in their children’s lives than they were 50 years ago, and research has shown that early father involvement with their children leads to better self-esteem, academic success, and positive behavior for their kids, as reported by the Fatherhood Project.
While it is true that mothers are working more hours than in the past, the labor split is still uneven, for better or worse. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 95.6 percent of employed fathers worked full time, while just 76.3 percent of employed mothers worked full time. Moreover, mothers with young children were somewhat less likely to have full employment than those with older children, while the child’s age does not have an effect on the father’s full-time employment. This means that, on average, the mother typically spends more time providing care than the father, especially for young children. This can be a difficult problem to encounter for a father that wishes to have an equal time split with the mother.
In child custody decisions, the court makes the decision in favor of the child’s best interests, not either parent’s. These factors include who the child’s primary caregiver was and the work schedule of each parent, which can sometimes work against the father. The judge may also have a deep rooted bias that a mother is in the child’s best interest, not the father. It is important to work with an experienced attorney in order to give yourself the best chance at receiving a favorable custody award. We urge you to reach out to one of our Columbia County fathers’ rights lawyers with the Colwell Law Group for legal help.
Learn how to help your kids cope with your divorce with our complimentary guide for parents who are getting divorced or separated in New York.
Colwell Law
N/a
(518) 462-4242
200 Great Oaks Blvd