Father as the Custodial Parent

If you were going through a divorce in the 1970's and were a male, most likely custody would have been granted to the mother. As time went on, however, fathers were heard in court and the term Fathers Rights became a well known phrase in Divorce.

It has been in the last ten years that fathers rights have blown up to the point where our mediators and judges in the local Riverside and San Bernardino courts have focused on these rights as well as fathers roles in the children's lives.

With mothers proving fully educated and moving up corporate ladders as men only once did, we are seeing more stay at home dads. We see fathers accustomed to raising their children more and more, perhaps while the mother is out working, or doing what she believes to be in her best interest, yet not necessarily the child's best interest.

There are times when the paternal mother gets out of control and abandons the children and family home, leaving father with the children day and night. We often see father gaining custody with more than 50 percent shared custody. Sole physical custody can be attained at times.

We see cases where the wife has drug or alcohol issues and cannot be left with the children. At times, supervised visitation with a monitor is likely to be ordered. The supervisor may be a relative or a social worker depending on the situation at hand. Or an alternative may be Full primary and legal custody to the father.

Not every case warrants full custody to the father, nor to the mother in a divorce and custody or paternity action. It depends on the situation, the lifestyles of the parents, the work schedules and the mediators report. Of course no Mediator's recommendation is set in stone, and we see times when these issues must be litigated.

When facing a Fathers custody matter, call the Law offices of Richard K. Isles. We offer a free initial consultation.