There has been an inherent belief in Texas and throughout the U.S. that, except in extreme cases, a child who is at the center of a custody battle will generally be better served to live with the mother. This has been a frequent topic for disputes and fathers are trying to change that perception and state law to account for their rights. Custody issues can be complicated and those involving gender-based parenting decisions are at the top of the list.
With Father’s Day – a day ostensibly intended to celebrate fathers – having just passed, a simultaneous protest at the Texas Capitol was undertaken to express displeasure with the failure to pass a bill that would have allowed fathers to have equal custody of their children after a divorce. Children are generally awarded to the mothers during a case. Research has indicated that the failure to have both parents involved in a child’s life has detrimental long-term effects such as a high risk of mental issues and problems with the law.
The rally was overseen by a group that advocates for fathers to have a greater role in the lives of their children and for the courts to account for their importance. The bill to grant equal rights – House Bill 453 – was rejected in May. The protestors also asserted that equal parenting diminishes the disagreements between the parents themselves.
The best interest of the child is paramount for any situation with custody issues. Shared parenting and an agreement for the father and mother to be in the child’s life is a positive thing. However, there are a litany of factors that go into a dispute over fathers’ rights, particularly with the failure for the above-mentioned bill to be passed into law. A legal professional can help a father with a custody and visitation case and should be contacted when there is a pending or ongoing battle over the child.
Source: mystatesman.com, “Backers of parental equality during divorce hold rally at Capitol,” Ali Linan, June 16, 2017
