Fighting for Paternal Rights

Fighting for Paternal Rights

Today, the “traditional family” is becoming a rarity.  Today, the single-parent home, the blended family, and shared custody are at least as prevalent as traditional families.  We also have same-sex couples bearing or adopting children.  In the old days, when a family broke up, primary custody almost always went to the mother.  Today, that is no longer the case. 

Many fathers still assume that if they leave their spouses, that means the end of raising their children. Unmarried fathers assume they have no chance for primary custody.  Thankfully, that is no longer the case.  More and more fathers are fighting for primary, or even sole custody and are winning.

The advances, in part, are due to The Fathers' Rights Movement. Starting in the 70s, groups of men began organizing to end the bias towards placing children with Mom.  Groups began to form, including Families Need Fathers and the Lone Father Association.   (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fathers%27_rights_movement.)  The movement continued and expanded with the rise of the Internet.  Now, there are a plethora of groups organizing through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit.   Some of these groups advocate and lobby, while others offer support.  They also help raise awareness of why the mother may not be the best parent for the children.  Similar groups exist that stress the importance of shared parenting. These groups have helped things like paternity leave for fathers to become a reality.

Several celebrities have also helped raise the profile of fathers' rights.  In 2014, the actor Jason Patric was denied visitation and was barred from seeing his baby, conceived through IVF. After initially being denied even visitation, he sued, and won, and was granted full parental rights.  

Also in 2014, skier Bode Williams was casually dating a woman who became pregnant.  She decided to move to New York to go to college.  Bode successfully sued for father's rights, gaining primary custody of his baby.   Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry dominated the tabloids in 2012, 2013, and 2014, with Halle fighting to deny visitation, and Gabriel fighting, and winning his parental rights.  Aubry successfully kept Berry and her new husband from moving their child out of the country.  This year, NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders joined the ranks of those fighting for Fathers' Rights.

Today, there is no reason for a loving father to back down.  You do not have to be a celebrity to successfully gain custody of your child.  All you need is will, determination, and the right lawyer.

Here at the Law Offices of Heath Harte, we believe custody needs to go to the better parent.  In many cases, that is the father.  We also believe that most children can benefit from having a relationship with both parents.  If you are a father, and you are looking at establishing your paternal rights, we can help.