One of the most tragic fallout of a divorce is the fight for custody rights of children. Nearly 50 percent of children in America will have to go through the trauma of a custody battle between their parents. In most cases it was the mother who won the custody battle and it was very rare that a child custody rights for fathers were recognized and given due recognition. The father was given the right to custody only in circumstances where the mother was considered unfit to take care of the child. But whether the child custody rights for fathers or mothers were upheld the loser in both instances happened to be the child. Nobody asks or cares the child's needs and they are pushed to accept the ruling.
We all wish we could live in an ideal world where the children continue to live with their parents and there are no differences between the mother and father and the only emotion they share is love. But alas this is no ideal world and there are no ideal couples. There arise a lot of differences between a married couple and most times they fight and resolve the issue but there are also circumstances where the differences become irreconcilable and divorce happens to be the only viable solution. There are a lot of instances where the mother is abused by the father and this is among the innumerable reasons which lead to the divorce. In most cases the judges who preside over the divorce happen to be men and they tend to take a lenient view about men and child custody rights for fathers are upheld and in cases where the mother is granted custody rights the father is given visitation rights which puts the woman at a vulnerable position.
Men all over have grouped together and formed a group called Mad Dads and have over the years managed to garner a fair bit of support through the use of the internet. The group includes members who happen to be concerned fathers, lawyers who happen to be media savvy and know how to work the press. They are further joined by professional lobbyist and volunteer activists. The group so formed argues that family courts all across America take a very strict view against unwed and divorced fathers and in a way tend to take away the child custody rights for fathers. It has been seen that in at least 85 percent of the time court rule in favor of the mother and the child custody rights for fathers are hardly given any importance. Most fathers due to the high cost of litigation and fear of losing all rights over the child do not contest the claim. Each case and each judge has to decide the family law as per the merits of each case but it does not seem to be the procedure. The primary care giver is usually given custody and in most cases it happens to be the stay in home moms and they are given preference over the child custody rights for fathers.
The fathers who decide to contest the custody of their children have to prove to the judge that they can give better care than the mother and they are not there as part time parent but are willing to take full responsibility. The fact that most judges frown upon when giving child custody rights for fathers is that most fathers resort to nannies or babysitters to fulfill their duties and this deters them from giving the decision in their favor. Research has shown that it is in the best interest of the children or child when a joint custody is given as they get to spend equal time with both parents. But you also have proof to the contrary where the child encounters problems as they have constantly shuffle between both parents and this creates discord. A child raised by a single mom has the potential to be a socially unfit and could end up on the fast lane to disaster. There are other studies to prove that neither the child custody rights of fathers or mothers has anything to do with the way a child behaves once she/he turns into an adult.
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