BROOKLYN, New York. Elliot Green Law Offices are divorce lawyers who work with both fathers and mothers on matters of child custody. As more parents share the workload in rearing children, more families are considering shared custody arrangements. Some fathers are also seeking arrangements of sole custody. The Guardian reports that 82% of mothers have custody of the children after divorce, with 29% of fathers retaining sole custody. However, these statistics may not reflect judge or jury bias favoring the father over the mother. 95% of child custody decisions are made outside of court, meaning that couples generally agree about who should have custody. In fact, making child custody decisions outside of court is often the best course, because taking child custody matters to a judge increases the likelihood that neither party will like the outcome and then be bound to it. The reality is that many families are looking into more flexible shared parenting time options that can change how child support and visitation is arranged.
Fathers sometimes seek the assistance of divorce lawyers when they have questions about child support amounts. A divorce lawyer can certainly help you understand how child support is calculated and what you may be legally required to pay.
If you are getting divorced and have questions about child custody or father’s rights, consider reaching out to the Elliot Green Law Offices today. Here are some key things you should know about father’s rights:
- The courts don’t generally arbitrarily favor one gender over another. When the courts make decisions about child custody, they look at which parent was the primary caregiver, which parent offers the most stable home, and what arrangement will be in the best interests of the child. Sometimes this is the mother and sometimes this is the father.
- If you consider yourself the primary caregiver, gather evidence. According to the Huffington Post, this evidence includes attending PTA meetings, scheduling doctor’s appointments, and managing your child’s extracurricular activities. While most courts will award shared legal custody, physical custody remains one of the more difficult decisions divorcing couples need to make. Having evidence to support why you should have primary physical custody of your children will help your case.
- Find a good family law attorney on your side. While there have been many law firms out there who claim to specialize in father’s rights or men’s divorce, the reality is that a good law firm can help you regardless of your gender. Judges and juries should not favor the mother over the father when it comes to child custody matters. Of course, antiquated views about women and caretaking and unconscious gender bias can always be an issue, so it is important to talk frankly with your attorney about your concerns.
More men are seeking the assistance of divorce lawyers to negotiate fair child support payment amounts. If you feel that the child support payment amount your spouse is seeking is too high, consider reaching out to the family lawyers at the Elliot Green Law Offices in Brooklyn, NY today.
