Child Custody Advice For Fathers

Fathers involved in child custody cases can face a much tougher road to winning their case. Even though the court system has become more balanced in their custody appointments between men and women, there is still an inherent prejudice that fathers often face.

Mothers tend to appeal more to the court for three basic reasons. The first one is the societal influences that say a child receives better care with their mother. Secondly, the court tends to view both the mother and child as dependants, while the father is seen as an independent. Finally, motherhood in itself is deemed a natural instinct and occurrence, while fatherhood is more participatory. While all of these court influences are debatable at best, the fact that they have been ingrained in the roots of our culture makes them very prominent.

For a father to succeed in winning child custody, his approach must concentrate on proving that his guardianship is the best option for the child's growth and development. While a mother may be able to win a close case based solely on the influences discussed earlier, the father typically has to provide more substantial evidence. For this reason, it is important for dad to build an indisputable appeal with documentation.

There are several items that a male custody candidate should be tracking throughout the custody process. The most important is the amount of quality time spent with their children. By keeping an accurate log of the dates, times, and activities, the father will have be able to prove his involvement in the child's daily life. In cases where the mother makes visitation difficult or impossible, it should be noted how many times the father was denied visitation. Participation and intent are keys to the courts decision, and it is essential for dad to demonstrate his desire to be involved with the child's life.

Tracking financial participation is also a good way to demonstrate how much input the father has in the daily routine of the child. This includes costs associated with food, clothing, medical care, and extracurricular activities. Even if the father makes payments directly to the mother instead of buying the needed items, it can still be tracked as an expense. Having an accurate log of financial cost expenditures will not only help provide evidence, but the information can also be used in child support hearings.

The final type of evidence that fathers should collect is any observations of suspicious behavior from the mother. This can include drug and alcohol abuse, adulterous behavior, work performance, and influencing of the child through bribery and slander. All of these behavior patterns could drastically change the outcome of a child custody case, but the court will not accept any accusations without documented proof. In some cases, this may require the hiring of child investigator to secure indisputable evidence.

Fathers typically have to prove their worth as a custody candidate in a more convincing fashion then mothers. This makes it important for dad to keep accurate records of both his involvement with the child as well as the activities of the mother. Fathers need to be able to show that their parenting influence and living situation provides a distinct advantage for the positive growth and development of the child.