One of the most common mistakes fathers make is to presume that the court will grant primary custody to the mother unless they prove otherwise to the court.
In many child custody battles, there’s always been a lack of sympathy for fathers who are equally fit or better for parenting. The majority of the time, mothers are seen as the ones worthy of having custody, but that’s not always the case.
If you’re a father and you’re in this situation, this article will teach you the concept of ‘’winning’’ a child custody battle and what you can do to prove to the judges that you’re the better fit for parenting.
What Do Fathers Mean When They Talk about ‘’Winning’’?
When a father talks about ‘’winning’’ a child custody battle, he’s already made the first mistake. Good fathers think about getting child custody because they believe that’s in their child’s best interest, not because they see this as an opportunity to get revenge against their ex-spouse. That’s why ‘’winning’’ is misused.
Moreover, child custody has two types of custody: legal and physical. Physical custody refers to the amount of parenting time the child spends with their parents. If you want more information regarding these two terms, you can always get advice from experienced lawyers.
What does Winning Joint Legal Custody for Fathers Require?
Surprisingly, courts grant joint legal custody to both parents, so they’re not biased towards the mother. The court believes both parents are equally qualified to share custody unless there are examples of specific situations such as child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, child neglect, etc.
At the same time, for fathers to win joint physical custody and visitation rights require that he shows the court that this schedule serves the child’s best interest. One of the most common mistakes fathers make is to presume that the court will grant primary custody to the mother unless they prove otherwise to the court.
The truth is that both parents are equally responsible for the above mentioned issues. They must also prepare to advocate their position and show the court why such a parenting plan is in the child’s best interest.
Depending on where you live, you can always seek help from experienced attorneys that study the law of custody. For example, if you’re from Ohio, you can contact Columbus Custody Lawyers to learn more about how to show your court the parenting plan.
How to Win Equal Parenting Time and Joint Physical Custody
There are many ways a father can win equal parenting time, including:
- The father has similar parenting skills as the mother.
- The father has more or less the same time to care for the child.
- The father can dedicate the same or similar amount of time to the child’s welfare, education, or extracurricular activities.
- Neither the father nor the mother has a history of making them a threat to the child.
In case you’re a father who’s in the process of getting a divorce, and you don’t seem to be on the same page as your soon-to-be ex-partner, you should also consider getting help from qualified divorce attorneys, such as Columbus Divorce Lawyers. These lawyers will guide you through each step of the way so you don’t have to feel alone.
Additionally, to win primary custody, the father must show a significant change of circumstances since the last court order. For example, if you want to go to 80 percent parenting time, that’ll be a massive jump for you as a father and the court.
Conclusion
Although you may seem alone in this process, fear not! Many fathers out there are in the same position as you and they’ve made a huge progression until now. You can always learn how to spend more quality time with your children, take care of them, and teach them right from wrong. The most important thing is not to act selfishly but to do anything if it’s in the child’s best interest.
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