Fathers in Massachusetts are taking a stand in an area of the law that has always lent towards giving women primary rights, reports the Boston Globe.
Image Credit: Lisa Williams (Flickr)
Now, fathers are urging lawmakers to consider new custody legislation in the state which will mean more equal parenting rights following divorce or separation.
Ned Holstein, of the National Parents Organization, a group that is driving this legislature forward, says that about 20 states are now considering similar moves.
Constance Ahrons, professor of sociology at the University of Southern California said:
“I think it’s reflecting what’s going on in the culture with parenting and shared-parenting and fathers’ involvement […] Fathers used to be helpers [during marriage]. Now, they’re expected to be equal parents.”
Paternity lawyers in Thailand are experts in the field of family law, including the custody rights of foreign fathers and those with children born out of wedlock.
Supporters of the new legislature say changes are needed and overdue, arguing that shared parenting will minimize custody battles and shorten difficult divorce proceedings.
Research also suggests that children benefit emotionally, with there being fewer cases of psychosomatic issues, from those having spent quality time with both parents.
However, not everyone is for the move. Some argue that all custody disputes should be handled on a case-by-case basis, with a focus on the child’s best interests, and not the parents.
Jamie Sabino, the consulting attorney for the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute says:
“There’s a small but loud number of people who believe fathers are being treated unfairly in the probate and family courts […] And they therefore want to take away what is essentially the discretion of judges to determine what’s in the best interest of the children and try to put in a more rigid scheme that would represent their rights.”
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