After divorce, Louisiana parents usually want to remain active and involved in the lives of their children. While this might seem like a given, many fathers feel as if they face unfair disadvantages in terms of child custody and support. This is despite the increasingly active role that many fathers now play.
Fathers are acting as primary caregivers much more than past generations. Despite this, many people are still holding onto outdated stereotypes. For example, over half of Americans believe that mothers are better than fathers when it comes to caring for babies. Only 1% believe that fathers can do a better job. A significant number of people also think that it is more important for mothers to bond with their children than it is for fathers to do the same.
This bias may continue past personal attention and cross over into areas of family law. Custody arrangements often favor mothers, and fathers are generally the ones who end up paying child support. When divorced or unmarried fathers end up going to court to fight for custody, many fear that they might face unfounded allegations of violence.
Child custody is supposed to be based on the best interests of the child, but this is not always how things work out. Louisiana fathers who believe that being actively involved is in their child’s best interests often feel like this is completely left out of the agreement. This is not something that fathers have to sit back and accept just because a judge signed off on an order. Speaking with a family law attorney can help fathers better understand their options for pursuing modifications to child custody or support agreements.