Fathers’ Rights on the Rise when it Comes to Child Custody

Increasingly, fathers are spending much more time with their children than they have in the past. While this is generally viewed to be a positive movement, some fathers are still treated as secondary parents when it comes to child custody. Fathers’ rights in Texas and elsewhere across the United States seem to be at the forefront of many child custody disputes during a divorce.

Recent research has indicated that children tend to perform better in a myriad of situations when they are able to see both of their parents regularly. This research does not reflect real-life custody agreements in which physical custody is normally awarded to the mother, with the father receiving mostly minimal time. There are some who believe that, by automatically granting sole custody to the mother, courts are actually harming the children involved.

An alternative that many seem to favor is joint physical custody. For joint custody to work, divorced parents would have to live relatively close and be able to act amicably despite still seeing the other on a regular basis. Providing that there is also no history of domestic violence, if the parents are able to collaborate on joint parenting, the result can possibly be a positive experience for both children and fathers.

In a post-divorce world that has been mostly dominated by women receiving sole custody, a shift in the way that things are handled may be difficult.However, Texas fathers’ rights can still play an important role when deciding how child custody will be established after a divorce. With several other states leading the way, Texas fathers may be closer than ever to true shared custody.

Categories:
Family Law