Can a Father get Full Custody of His Child?

Attempting to get partial or full custody of a child can be both stressful and challenging. With numerous factors going into the decision, the most important one resides within the best interest of the child. Many people may tell you that a father has no chance in a custody battle, but that is simply untrue. This article will investigate the ways that any parent can make a case for themselves when trying to get custody, and why a father should not give up if they believe themselves to be the best option in a caretaker for their child.

The Child’s Wishes

If the child has a beautiful relationship with the father and expresses their wishes in court to live with him, the likelihood of the father getting custody goes up. If the child is deemed to be of appropriate age and maturity to make such decisions, their testimony will hold up and be taken into account.

Keeping Routine

A judge will want to grant custody to whoever can give their child a stable life, which mirrors the one they had before the divorce. If the father can keep the child going to the same school, in contact with the same friends, and happy in living a relatively unchanged life, then he is likely to be granted custody. Stability is an essential thing in a child’s life, which can be ruptured by a divorce. A court will do its best to minimize any potential damage that instability could cause and put the child where it’s believed they could continue living most naturally.

A court does not want to separate a child from either of their parents if unnecessary; it will do what is in the best interest of the child’s health and safety.

Primary Caregiver

Courts will often base their decision on who has done most of the caretaking for the child in its life. If the father has had the majority of the responsibility in raising the child in question, they should have a far better chance of being granted, at least partial, and possibly even full custody. Gather different kinds of proof that you’ve been the primary caregiver in the child’s life, and present them to your attorney.

What About Gender Bias?

Even though it is a popularly held belief that the mother is always cut a better deal in a custody case, the state of California has laws preventing gender of the parents from being taken into consideration in a custody decision. If gender is ever taken into account in one of these scenarios, it is done unlawfully. A court aims to place the child in the best environment for success. If that is in the hands of the father, it will be granted.

A court understands that contact with both parents will always be favorable over having contact with only one (if they are both capable of caring for the child). If the father is worried that he will not have any chance to be a part of his child’s life, he should consider going for partial custody. A court does not want to separate a child from either of their parents if unnecessary; it will do what is in the best interest of the child’s health and safety.

• Divorcenet.com Article
• Security Law Brief
• Background photo created by prostooleh