Tag Archives: custody

Parents – Unmarried With Kids

Posted on by

When the matter of child custody and rights to a child evolve, the battle is a long one with unmarried parents. Married parents who get divorced do not have to prove paternity to retain rights, while parents who are not married may be required to prove paternity. a family law lawyer is best to consult with on your rights as a parent and should be consulted before entering into any legal proceedings or filing for custody or child support.

If a child is born out of wedlock, the mother is automatically granted custody unless an adjudication or registration of paternity is filed. For the father to seek custody or visitation rights, he must establish that he is the father of the child through blood tests or DNA tests. Consult with a family law attorney on the best way to obtain a paternity test.

Establishing paternity does not automatically guarantee custody, though. Fathers must obtain a court order if they want to be granted custody of the child; otherwise most courts still assume the mother has custody.

But unmarried fathers who prove paternity and obtain court orders are still entitled to the same rights as a divorced father as long as there are no issues that would make that person a threat to the child such as domestic violence and abuse.

If both partners agree on a custody and visitation plan, the judge will usually sign it and it will become a court order. But in cases where one or both parents do not agree on a plan, the court will resolve the issue. The best way to resolve custody disputes is through the court, as a court order will be a legal document by which both parents must abide.

There are two types of custody that must be discussed. Physical custody refers to who the child will live with permanently, while legal custody refers to who will make decisions about the child’s healthcare, education, religion, etc.

Most custody arrangements grant joint legal custody and sole physical custody with the non-custodial parent given visitation rights. However, if it is determined that one of the parents is unfit to make decisions about the child’s life or it is in the child’s best interest not to have any contact with the other parent, sole physical and legal custody is often granted to one party. Joint physical custody is agreed upon and/or granted in some cases as well.

Unmarried parents with further questions about child custody are encouraged to seek legal counsel.

Author: Justin DiMateo
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Solar panel, solar power

The New Face of Single Parenting – Black Males

Posted on by

When two people get together to create new life, it is not generally the intention that only one of the individuals will take full responsibility for raising the child. Whether the child was conceived within or outside of wedlock, single parenting is generally not the objective. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. But generally speaking, either things don’t work out between the two parents, or, in the case of unwanted pregnancy, the child can start life out with only one parent to begin with.

Traditional Single Parenting

Traditionally, female single parents (mothers) have been much more common than male single parents (fathers). In child custody cases courts have generally favored mothers over fathers. In the past, it was not uncommon for people to assume that a single father must be a widower, because otherwise the children would simply be with their mother.

Single Fathers

More and more males are stepping up to their roles as dads. Joint single parenting is one of the most common ways that fathers are staying involved in their children’s lives. This is done when both the single father and single mother share custody and care of their children. The time is simply divided up between the two homes.

Increased male involvement, however, combined with increased female pursuit of career has also led to growing ranks of single fathers as primary caregivers. Many don’t know this, but there are single father grants available to help dads who are raising children alone. It is becoming increasingly common to see single fathers taking full responsibility for the care of their children, whether the mother is involved in the kids’ lives or not.

There are other, less happy circumstances under which fathers are the ones doing the single parenting. These situations involve cases where the mother may be deemed (by a court or by her own self) unsuitable to care for her own children. Single parenting grants can be very helpful in these situations, especially if the mother is not able to contribute financially to the raising of her children.

Black Males and Single Parenting

Black males, like white males, are stepping up to the plate in terms of raising their children. Federal assistance and single parenting grants make raising children alone seem feasible to black males who might otherwise be scared to take on such a huge responsibility. Black males, as well as white males and females in general, are more generally accepted as suitable single parents than they ever were before. Black males as single fathers have more rights today, (inside the courtroom and outside of it) than they ever did before. Likewise, females are less harshly judged for allowing the father to take full responsibility for child rearing in child custody cases. The changing face of single parenting is making it easier and easier for loving fathers as well as career minded mothers to take on non-traditional roles that work in the best interest of the children.

Author: Pieter West
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card