Tips for Fathers Looking for Custody of their Child

The fact that there are more working mothers now than ever, has promoted a significant increase in the child custody battles in most divorce cases. While most fathers might believe that a court of law usually favors the mother in deciding the final settlement of custody, the fact is that the primary concern of judge is to announce a verdict that ensures the ‘best interests of a child’.  Fathers who actively devote time for a meaningful and healthy upbringing of their child should seek to enforce their parental rights.  Read on for a few tips that might come in handy if you are a dedicated father battling for the custody of your child.

Parenting time 

The first major consideration that you need to make is how much time you will be able to devote to your kids. Now whether you wish to obtain the full custody of your child, or an aggressive visitation, it is very important to outline your goals and determine how you aim to achieve them. You need to able to balance out your professional life with the time you wish to spend with your child. Much of this would depend upon the age and maturity of your kids. For example, a five year old will require you to be available for him for a major part of his waking hours. However, if you have teenage kids, you can go for joint custody that allows you spend the evenings and weekends with them. 

Parental decisions 

A joint custody implies that both the parents are required to be actively responsible for making vital life decisions such as education, safety, health and welfare for their children. Unless your case involves a grave parental conflict such as domestic violence, addiction of some nature, child abuse or the like, it is always advisable to go for joint custody with the other partner. The state laws of California do not assign any special privileges to the mother if she has been proved to be incapable of co parenting the kid, since it apparently goes against the concept of ‘best interests of the child’.

If you as a father are determined to fight for your rights to custody, you must hire an attorney who has experience in child custody cases and is well versed in the legal strategies required for you to effectively put your point across in the court of law.

Getting divorced in California can be complicated.  Download our free eBook, 18 Important Things to Know About California Divorce to educate yourself on the process.  

Gerald A. Maggio is an experienced Orange County divorce and family law attorney and family law attorney located in Irvine, California, serving the Orange County and Riverside areas. Mr. Maggio assists clients with legal issues including divorce, legal separation, divorce mediation, child custody, prenuptial agreements, stepparent adoptions, and other family law issues. Mr. Maggio has practiced law in California since 1999, and founded The Maggio Law Firm in 2005, focusing exclusively on divorce and family law matters.