The Need to Recognize the Rightful Status of Fatherhood to a Healthy Society
Every child has the right to grow with both parents to become all-rounded individuals. Sadly, our culture often downplays the importance and value of men in general and fathers in particular. In most cases, fathers are portrayed as absent parents or parents that children can do without, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Due to this notion, there are common gender stereotypes that affect fathers, downplaying their rights in custody issues in Maryland. Men’s rights lawyers in Montgomery County say that children are put at a substantial disadvantage when they don’t have a father in the home.
One reason why so many fathers lose their custody battles is because of the myths surrounding fatherhood rights. Fighting legal battles can be daunting for fathers who don’t understand their rights. So, if you’re a father going through a divorce and fighting for your children’s custody, be aware of the following myths and be prepared to challenge them:
Mothers Always Get Custody
Courts in Maryland seemed to favor mothers in custody cases in the past. Mothers were thought of as the nurturers, while fathers were the providers.
Courts Consider the Best Interests of the Child
The fact is that, in awarding child custody, courts evaluate several factors that help them determine the best interests of the child.
These include:
- The relationship the child shares with each parent
- The ability and fitness of each parent to care for the child
- Character and reputation of each parent
- The ability of each parent to maintain natural family relations
- The desires and agreements between the parties, if they are amicable
- Material opportunities that may affect the child now and in the future
- The residences of the parents and the ease of visitation
- Each party’s capacity to communicate with the other about the child’s welfare
- Potential disruptions to the child’s social and school life
- The child’s preference, depending on their age
With the help of skilled Montgomery County fathers’ rights attorneys, you can show the court why being granted custody of your children will benefit them. For example, you would argue that children who have both parents involved in their lives fare better than children who have just one parent. There is an enormous amount of research that supports the importance of fathers in the lives of their children and a fathers’ rights attorney knows how to impress that reality on the court.
Mothers Can Lose Custody
It’s also worth noting that a mother can lose custody for the following reasons:
- Substance abuse and addiction
- Neglect
- Domestic violence
- Criminal behavior
- Abduction of the child
- Harmful behavior during the divorce proceedings
Fathers Are Always Ordered to Pay Child Support
Given that fathers are the providers, many people believe that fathers are always ordered to pay child support in these cases. However, the truth is that divorce courts have a method of calculating how much each parent should contribute to child support. These considerations are more than just what the father earns.
Both parents should pay child support as indicated in the divorce settlement until the child reaches the legal adult age. If you believe the child custody determination in your case is unfair, you can fight back. Depending on your circumstances, your Montgomery County fathers’ rights lawyers can evaluate your case and help you show why the figures should be reviewed.
You Don’t Have a Right to Create Your Custody Agreement
Courts allow divorcing spouses to submit a parenting plan that the parents believe is in the best interest of the children. If the parents cannot agree on a parenting, then the court will consider the argument from each parent why their plan is in the children’s best interest during the custody trial.
An Experienced Fathers’ Rights Lawyer Protecting Your Rights During a Divorce
Divorce is never easy, and fathers are often disadvantaged in child custody battles. That usually happens because substantial gender bias exists througout the judiciary process and nothing is being done about it. However, if you understand how gender bias influences the court, you can build your offense and defense to negate the biases and get a more equitable result. It is when bias is ignored that the bias will succeed. It is critical that men work with attorneys who are aware of gender bias and know how to best combat the bias.
