Child Custody

According to a report from the US Census Bureau, the right for child custody is no longer vested with mothers. With the rise in the number of marriages culminating in divorce, there has been a essential increase in the number of single fathers. Currently there are around 2.3 million single fathers in the US. The percentage of fathers to whom sole custody of the child has been awarded has increased by 15 percent compared to 1995. Today, more fathers are ready to take on the responsibility of their children when faced with a divorce and more fathers are winning custody of their children in the family courts.

Several child custody experts believe since children may prefer to be with their father or wish to live with their father, more fathers are getting custody or are being awarded custody. While fighting a legal custody battle over the custody thing is rare, in many child custody cases, fathers are taking on the responsibility of their children by stipulation or upon mutual agreement. There are situations where the father is indeed proving to be the better parent while providing the more stable and secure environment for the children. Sometimes, mothers are not interested in taking on the responsibility of their children and would prefer to pursue their career. Even in such situations, more fathers are getting custody and the courts are awarding custody of the children to the father.

Several child custody experts believe the most challenging part of parenting in a divorce situation is to make children have a smooth transition from a two-parent household to a single-parent household. Many fathers believe that being a single dad is an entirely different experience. Fathers seeking custody of their children must present an emotionally stable and secure environment for the children. Any type of unpredictable behavior from the father can increase the stress on the child making the transition more difficult and open up doors for allegations by the mother.

Many fathers in contested child custody cases are challenged with false allegations. False allegations of child abuse, false allegations of domestic violence, false reports to Child Protective Services (CPS), are unfortunately not uncommon issues in bitter child custody battles. Temporary restraining orders, limited visitation rights, temporary supervisded visitation, and limited contact orders due to these false allegations are issues that fathers should learn how to defend against and must learn how to prepare for.

Other common issues fathers face in contested custody child custody cases are parental alienation and move-away cases. Parental alienation is when one parent coaches the child in attempts to turn the child against the other parent. In the most severe cases where the child has been completely brainwashed to hate the target parent for no valid reason, it is referred to as Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). Move-away cases are effected when the custodial parent wants to relocate a important distance such that the current parenting schedule will require a modification.