There is a traditional notion throughout the country that women are the better caregivers to their children than men. This may stem from the common past practices of husbands working outside of the home while wives stayed with the couple’s kids and attended to their daily needs. Parents in Arizona know, though, that things have changed. Families do what they need to put food on the table and to make sure that their children have what they need to thrive.
As such, notions of what may or may not serve a child’s best interests have had to change with the times. Whereas a mother may have once been the presumptive recipient of custody of the kids in a divorce, now a father may be the better fit for a child as their mom and dad transition through a divorce. Although every child custody case will proceed based on its own facts, fathers can make strong cases to advocate for their custodial roles.
This is because they may be in a better position to meet their child’s needs than their wives. Courts will consider the health of the child’s parents in deciding with whom the child should live, as well as factors related to the parents’ styles of discipline, the parents’ integration into their children’s communities, and the parents’ abilities to provide their kids with love and support. A father has rights to be the primary caregiver for their child and should be allowed to do so if they are more capable than the child’s other parent.
Fathers’ rights can be a difficult issue in family law cases in Chandler and individuals who want strong representation on this front can benefit from seeking out legal representatives who recognize the unique challenges men face during custody and divorce proceedings. Fathers can and should hold active roles in their children’s lives and deserve the right to be custodians of them after divorce.