Attitudes Toward Fathers Having Child Custody Are Changing

Fathers going through a divorce in Kansas may fear that their rights will not be respected during the child custody portion of the divorce. They believe that the courts will show bias toward the mothers. There is reason for fathers to have this concern, especially when they look at the decisions that were made regarding custody in the past.

Just a few decades ago, the traditional family arrangement consisted of a father who went to work and provided financially for his children. The mother was the primary caregiver for the children. When there was a divorce and custody issues needed to be considered, many courts felt that the mother would do a better job as caregiver and the father should continue in his role as the financial provider for both the ex-wife and children.

Viewpoints and ideas about family have changed. There are a number of families where the primary breadwinner is the mother, and the primary caregiver for the children is the father. Judges are now more inclined to award primary custody to fathers, especially when it’s clear that doing so is in the best interests of the child.

One of the past biases exhibited by courts was the thought that fathers were not nurturing enough to care for their children. Others believed that fathers did not have enough time in their schedule to adequately care for their children. And others held to the idea that men by nature lacked the knowledge needed in order to properly care for children.

Although there is a shift in the court’s perception of a father’s ability to care for their children, fathers should not get complacent when it comes to child custody battles. Prejudices still exist, and fathers need to prove that them having custody is in the best interests of their child. In order to do this, a father may want to talk to a family law attorney. Family law attorneys might help draw up custody agreements and advise their clients on how to prove they are fit for custody.