When a relationship ends it is hard on everyone, especially when there are children involved. However, by pre-planning a little and having an understanding on what to expect from the beginning, fathers have a better chance of being able to accurately articulate their arguments on why a child custody or visitation schedule should be awarded in a certain way.
For fathers, the first thing to keep in mind is that it is best to know exactly what the desired outcome is right from the very beginning. This means that if primary custody, where the child lives with dad, is the goal, this needs to be fought for right from the start. Never should a father go into a courtroom wanting a temporary schedule thinking it will just be changed in the future.
Fathers also need to have a strategy coming into the door. This will require knowing the child’s routine and being able to show the court’s how the proposed plan accounts for this routine and the needs of the child.
Fathers also need to have a strategy coming into the door. This will require knowing the child’s routine and being able to show the court’s how the proposed plan accounts for this routine and the needs of the child. The idea is that the custody arrangement and visitation schedule fits the child’s life, not just the lives of their parents.
Lastly, when dealing with the court system, realize this is a system that historically favored women in terms of who was awarded custody. Now, however, more fathers are starting to fight for — and win — equal custody and fair visitation schedules.
Of course, this is a positive and a huge step in terms of fathers’ rights. Yet, there are still a number of attorneys out there who are rather old school and may not necessarily get that a father wants equal rights. This is why it is important to hire an attorney with experience handling and fighting for fathers’ rights.
Source: Huffington Post blog, “Custody Battles: The Top Five Things Dads Should Know Before Setting Foot in Court,” Morghan Leia Richardson, May 23, 2013
