Most parents realize that if they are divorcing that they won’t have the same sort of unlimited access to their children they once had. Parents may not be able to take spontaneous trips to the movies with their children. They may not be able to see them every day after work. When parents divorce, they generally share custody of the children, which is a bit of a departure from years past. Previously, many fathers in Wyomissing had very limited custody over their children.
Fathers are understandably fed up with custody arrangements that prioritize a child’s relationship with his or her mother over one with his or her father. Fathers are tired of paying child support for only limited visitation hours and the occasional overnight stay. Fathers are arguing that it is their children’s best interests to split their time between their mothers and fathers.
One way to show family law judges that it is important that the father maintains a relationship with his child is by demonstrating his involvement with the child. Has the father been a volunteer at school? Has the father been to school conferences? Does he bring his child to extracurricular activities? While these certainly show an involvement in the child’s life, they are not necessary to convince a judge of the importance of a shared custody.
Men’s roles are certainly changing, and with these changes come an increased demand for fair and equitable child custody arrangements. In the end, judges will order arrangements in the best interests of the children, but it is important that they recognize how important it is for both parents to be involved in a child’s life.
Source: USA Today, “More dads demand equal custody rights, reject child-support arrangements of yesterday,” Sharon Jayson June 14, 2014