FATHERS’ RIGHTS

Overall, children face disadvantages when fathers are not in their lives. Statistics support the fact and courts recognize its validity. Even so, many people think fathers aren’t always treated fairly in child custody cases. If you’re concerned about your rights as a father in Texas, the attorneys at C.E. Borman & Associates can help protect your interests to ensure that you play an active role in your child’s life after divorce.

If you had a child with a woman you never married and want to establish paternity rights, our attorneys can help. There are legal steps you can take to have paternity established through the courts. The process often involves DNA testing. Once the court establishes your paternity, we can also help you with legal actions for a parenting plan, which would allow visitation with the child. Under certain conditions, you may even file for primary custody.

If you’re going through divorce and want to protect your rights regarding child custody, we can prepare your case. Is the mother pushing for a custody agreement that seems unfair? We can help develop a parenting plan and show your ability to provide a stable home environment for your children.

If your spouse has problems with alcohol or addiction, we can request drug testing and establish why you should be the custodial parent. Sometimes, a home study will show that one parent is better suited as a custodial parent than the other. There are many things we can do to help you win a custody case.

Research shows that children without fathers struggle in school, have trouble adapting socially and are often unstable. In 1998, the Journal of Marriage and Family reported that children with absent fathers consistently scored lower than the norm in reading and math tests.

The opposite is also true. Children with fathers who are involved score higher academically, accomplish more, enjoy greater success in their careers and are psychologically in a better condition.

Children live with their custodial parents, whereas non-custodial parents have visitation rights. According to the 2009 U.S. Census:

• About one in six custodial parents were fathers (17.8 percent)
• The majority of custodial parents were mothers (82.2 percent)
• About 44.2 percent of custodial mothers were divorced or separated
• About 36.8 percent of the custodial mothers were never married
• About half (50.6 percent) of all custodial parents had either legal or informal child support agreements