In Arizona and across the country, 80 percent of the parents who are granted the custodial parenting role are women. Many children live primarily with their moms and see their dads sporadically or not at all. CNN’s Lisa Ling recently spoke with dads about their quality of parenting time and how they dads the system is working for them. The men the reporter interviewed were not happy with their situations or the amount of time they got to spend with their kids.
It is not just parenting time that is difficult for some dads. They need to fit in that all-important time with their children, but they typically are also managing careers and child support obligations.
Most states have statutes preventing the family law courts from routinely favoring moms as the custodial parent. However, it may still happen in part because society was typically pro mom in child custody cases for many years.
Dads are usually at the mercy of a family court judge. The more a father shows the judge his good intentions for his children, the better outcome he can expect in court. Child support is a huge issue, and when an order is in place, the court expects it to be followed. If a father has extenuating circumstances that keep him from paying the ordered amount of child support, he might petition the court to devise an agreement modification. He just needs to be prepared with a good reason for the changes, and he needs to make reasonable effort to meet his obligations.
Child custody and child support issues can be troublesome, but an attorney who know the laws can often help when disagreements or other problems arise. If dads want to take the initiative to file a child custody dispute, a lawyer may listen and offer advice regarding the situation.