Protection of Fathers Child Custody Rights in a Divorce

The court’s ultimate goal is typically to grant child custody to the biological parents However, there are instances where the birth parents could not assume responsibility for the minor child or children. Still, each case is evaluated on an individual basis. The judge will determine the best custody arrangement for each child. When the father’s rights are under evaluation, the courts will look at several determining factors to decide whether or not they are suitable for caring for the child. Some of the factors include the father’s history with the child, the father’s financial status, the father’s mental health, and the father’s emotional state of mind. Father’s rights extend beyond just physical custody and parenting time considerations also. Fathers will be evaluated for their ability to make decisions about their children’s lives and their rights to access information about them.

Types Of Child Custody for Fathers

Both parents occasionally seek custody of their biological children. It is not uncommon for one parent to be awarded sole custody of minor children. When that is the case, one parent has physical and legal custody of the child, while the other parent is awarded parenting time. Physical custody refers to the parent the child physically resides with for most of their life. Legal custody refers to the responsibility of the parent to make decisions about the child’s life. These can be things such as making decisions about where they attend school, which activities they are involved in, and the legal right to sign documents for the child. Each child custody case can have a variety of sole and shared custody concerning the legal and physical rights of the parents.

Parenting Time Interference

A court of law will help determine or create a parenting time agreement that it sees as satisfactory for each case. This child custody agreement will determine which parent has which type of rights. The agreement will determine who and when the child spends time with and what kind of decisions each parent can make for the child. There are instances in which parenting time is interfered with by the other parent. This interference can happen in a variety of ways. Some of the most common are when one parent refuses to drop the child off at the allotted time, or at all, or when one parent blocks communication between the other parent and the child. Parents can sometimes also use their children to spy on the other parent, which can also be considered interference. or at all, or when one parent blocks communication between the other parent and the child. Parents can sometimes also use their children to spy on the other parent, which can be considered interference as well. Parenting time interference can lead to criminal charges or malicious or alienating act charges in some extreme cases. In these cases, the help of a family law attorney would be a necessity.

Family Law Attorneys Can Help Protect Father’s Child Custody Rights

When working through child custody or parenting time arrangements, you should consult with a family law attorney in your area. Father’s custody rights are important to the father and the children as well. Strong relationships with both parents is usually the best option for the child or children involved. It is important that you find out what your rights are as a father. Contacting an experienced and aggressive child custody attorney in the St. Cloud, MN area will help you understand your rights and responsibilities related to the child or children in question. A qualified family law attorney can assist you with any child custody matter and help you from the initial consultation to the conclusion of the trial if necessary.Your family law lawyer can help you determine your case’s best type of child custody and will fight aggressively for your rights.