How Do I Protect My Rights as a Father in a New York Divorce?
Both mothers and fathers hold a crucial role in their children’s lives. As such, the courts perceive it’s in a child’s best interest to benefit from maintaining a loving relationship with both parents. Fathers, despite having equal legal rights to mothers, have historically encountered greater difficulty obtaining custody of their children during divorce. Although times have changed, a father should still take the necessary measures to safeguard their legal rights during divorce proceedings. To learn the steps you can take to protect your parental rights, keep reading and contact an adept Nassau County Fathers’ Rights Attorney who can help you stay an active participant in your child’s life.
What steps can fathers take to protect their rights during a New York divorce?
Unfortunately, when it comes to child custody, the court often favors the mother unless she is deemed an unfit parent. Therefore, fathers are commonly at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, if a father isn’t granted physical custody, meaning the child will not live with them on a full-time basis, they can still fight for joint legal custody. Joint legal custody will help them retain the right to make crucial decisions about the child’s education, medical care, religion, extracurricular activities, and more. Securing joint legal custody will ensure that a father can continue to be an active part of their child’s life.
As mentioned above, New York courts prioritize the importance of a child maintaining an ongoing relationship with both parents, as it’s believed to be in the child’s best interest. If a father loses legal custody, this can have a significant impact on their role in their child’s life. Therefore, fathers should fight for their right to actively participate in their child’s life to ensure that their child’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being is protected. During a divorce, fathers can take specific steps to protect their legal rights.
Firstly, fathers should never forget to put their children first. Understandably, emotions run high during a divorce as each party’s hard-earned assets and parenting time are on the line. Even so, your child should be your main priority. By putting your child’s needs first, you can demonstrate to the court that you care about preserving their best interests even under these difficult circumstances. In addition, you should devise a parenting arrangement and document everything you do for your child. Most importantly, you should retain the legal services of an experienced attorney. If your parental rights are being violated in any way during this complex legal process, they can help you protect them.
If a divorce is imminent and you want to ensure your rights as a father are safeguarded, you should enlist the help of a trusted attorney from The Pollack Law Firm, P.C., who can help you preserve your relationship with your child.
