Single Fathers and Child Custody

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the history of assignment of custodial responsibility for children when parents separate or divorce has varied more than most people realize. It discusses how American courts, as well as the Anglo system that preceded it, have held various views over the centuries regarding who should take care of children after divorce, with the view that either parent may be the best choice in any individual situation being a relatively new development. By looking at how court rulings have changed, particularly over the last thirty years, it attempts to demonstrate how it is evident that many men can and will do an excellent job of raising their children when called upon to do so.

Outline
History
Current Issues
Fathers' Rights Movements
Examples of Single Fathers
Factors that Help Fathers Win Custody
Joint Custody
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Laws have changed to reflect changes in society standards. In 1973, the New York Supreme Court ruled against the automatic assumption that of the two biological parents, the mother is automatically the best parent to receive custody of children in a divorce. They wrote, "The simple fact of being a mother does not, by itself, indicate a willingness or capacity to render a quality of care different than that which a father can provide." (Risman, 1985) By 1982 the state of Missouri had acted in a similar way. A Missouri court order from that year states, "If both parents are employed and equally absent from the home, the mother has no more part in training, nurturing and helping in the child's development; and if everything is equal, the mother has no better claim to child custody." (Stachewicz, 1993)."

More papers on Single Fathers and Child Custody:

• Comparison Essay # 53312 : "Black Single Fathers"
• Case Study # 6710 : "Non-Custodial Fathers"
• Term Paper # 22862 : "Child Support Distribution"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: