Somerset County Fathers’ Rights Lawyers

With Child Custody, Fathers Lose Out Often–Our Fathers’ Rights Lawyers Can Help.

Fathers in New Jersey – in theory – enjoy the same protections afforded to mothers, with no legal distinction between the two. However, a divorcing father should never assume that he is on completely equal footing with his estranged spouse.

When a father suspects that his role as caregiver or decision-maker will be diminished or lessened by an impending divorce it is imperative that he seek out the experienced, qualified counsel of skilled Somerset County family lawyers. Failure to do so can make or break the relationship a father shares with his children for many years to come.

Some divorcing fathers face unique challenges that must be overcome, including:

• Parental alienation: Occurs whenever a spouse manipulates a child into believing that time spent with the other parent is unsafe, unnecessary, or unfair. A spouse may attempt to lay the groundwork with a child that their other parent is somehow to blame for the demise of the marriage, as well as that they are under no obligation to adhere to a court-ordered visitation schedule.
• Child custody: When a father serves as the primary caregiver or enjoys a stronger parental bond with his children than his estranged spouse, such evidence should be taken seriously. Courts often make mothers the custodial parent based upon a false presumption that the best interests of children would not be served by living primarily with their father.
• Child support: The number of women paying child support is on the rise according to one recent survey, but with men disproportionately named the non-custodial parent they are still ordered to pay a disproportionate share of child support.
• Paternity: It is not uncommon for a mother to later attempt to deny an ex-spouse or partner access to their child. Fathers’ rights in New Jersey provide for parenting time for both parents as long as a formerly absent father is not deemed a threat to the health or welfare of their child. Moreover, when paternity is refuted or questioned an experienced fathers’ rights lawyer can fight to secure DNA testing to confirm when a client is, indeed, the father of the child in question.

Divorcing couples should always strive to reach an agreement on issues of child custody and child support without judicial intervention. When it appears that both sides are at an impasse, however, fathers should not hesitate to retain counsel. A divorce may mark the end of a marriage but the relationship between parent and child endures.

Fathers who are not awarded or do not seek full custody can quickly find themselves in an unfair position, where they must meet a court-ordered child support obligation while they are simultaneously denied access to their children or victimized by parental alienation. Fathers’ rights in New Jersey are real, and must be exercised in court.

Furthermore, both parents should understand that their children also have rights during these proceedings. Refer to our Bill of Rights for Children in Divorce and Dissolution Actions to learn more about what those are. Additionally, if you'd like to read our Parenting Rules to help ensure you're always acting in your child's interests, simply click here.

Contact Our Somerset County Child Custody Lawyers Today

If you are contemplating divorce, the Somerset fathers’ rights lawyers at the Law Offices of Kisha M. Hebbon will seek justice for you in court. We fight tirelessly on behalf of fathers throughout Middlesex County and Union County at our Somerset, New Jersey offices.