When you’re going through a divorce, your primary concern may be getting custody of your child. Your child needs to be in a home and environment that is comfortable and safe.
There are myths that hurt fathers looking to seek custody. Here are three and what you should really know about them. With the right approach, you can seek the custody arrangements you want.
- If you leave the home, you’ll forfeit custody
This is certainly not always the case, especially if you left the home to avoid harm coming to you. While abandonment can lead to a loss of your custody rights, it’s less likely that you’ll forfeit custody just because you’ve left the home. True abandonment requires you to ignore and avoid seeing your child. If you’re still attending school functions, housing them on some days of the week and making sure you’re involved in their life, where you live is of less consequence.
- Dads can’t get primary custody
While in the past fathers were usually the breadwinners and didn’t always get primary custody, today’s courtrooms focus more on shared custody and the opportunity for children to spend equal time with their moms and dads. If you’re concerned about your ex-partner’s ability to raise your children, don’t let being a father make you think that you can’t seek full or primary custody. You have a right to seek custody regardless of if you’re a man or woman.
- Your child will eventually get to choose where they live
While it’s a nice thought, the reality is that your child won’t have much of a say in where they live. While the court may hear what they have to say and what their preferences are, the court will do what’s in their best interests. If their best interests include living with you, their mother or both, then that’s what the court will want to see happen.
These are three common myths that you should be aware of. Custody can be a challenging issue to work with, but it’s possible to seek custody of your child and get a custody schedule that you can agree with.
