For years a common assumption in family law has been that when it comes to divorce and families, the man of the house is typically the primary bread-winner and his wife is the primary caretaker of kids and the home.
In today’s society, those rules do not hold true. Women are in the workforce more than ever, and in several cases, dad is staying home and taking care of the kids while mom goes to work and supports the family.
Fathers and Family Law
When faced with a divorce, it may seem that men have a tougher battle to fight in court when it comes to child custody and visitation rights. It can be more difficult for men to prove the significant role they play in their child’s life, and courts may tend to err on the side of the woman in many cases, even though most courts agree that both parents should be treated equally.
Couples who choose non-traditional child custody arrangements may come under greater scrutiny than they would otherwise. Child custody for fathers can vary from weekend visits to full-time custody — and the same is becoming true of child custody for mothers. As society continues to evolve, it has become more acceptable for women to have equally shared custody with their ex-husbands. Fathers with primary custody are also becoming more common.
Paternity Fraud
Paternity fraud is a problem that can affect child custody or child support for fathers. Paternity fraud typically involves a woman who fraudulently declares the paternity of her child in order to collect child support that may not actually be due to her. Each state and jurisdiction has different policies governing paternity fraud cases. Some allow only a certain amount of time to challenge paternity, and others restrict paternity testing as it may not be in the best interest of the child.
When it comes to fathers’ rights and divorce, there are several topics to consider. A local divorce lawyer can be a good resource for questions about child custody, paternity fraud, paternity testing, child support and divorce.