There is a historical presumption that children, in custody situations, will always be placed in the primary care of their mothers. This may have to do with traditional parenting roles that mothers and fathers took on in the past, which often involved fathers working outside of their homes to earn money while mothers stayed home to take care of the couples’ children. Any Arizona parent in 2018 knows, though, that this somewhat outdated model is not the norm for all families.
It is growing more and more common for men to work from home or stay home when their wives seek employment and earn the incomes on which their families survive. Fathers can and do take on more active roles in the raising of their children and play an integral part in ensuring that those children become happy and productive adults.
Because it is important for children to have the opportunity to experience the influences of both of their parents, fathers should remember that they can fight for custody when their relationships end in separation or divorce. In fact, fathers may be able to secure sole custody of their children if, given the subjective needs of their kids, doing so would serve the children’s best interests.
There is no doubt that the relationship kids form with their mothers is significant, but this should not in any way discount the important connection that fathers share with their kids. Fathers have rights after separations and divorces. They may fight for their legal and physical custody rights with the support of Chandler family law attorneys who advocate for fathers’ rights.