Recent Blog Posts
How to Get Sole Custody As a Dad
Sole custody arrangements are rare. Courts nearly always want children to maintain a relationship with both of their parents, even when that means ordering supervised visitation for a parent who may not be safe for the children to be alone with. Sole custody arrangements where the father is the custodial parent are even less common than situations where only the mother has custody.
However, it is possible for a father to gain sole custody under certain circumstances and with help from the right divorce and child custody lawyer. If you are hoping for sole custody, you will need to prove that having a continued relationship with your co-parent would not be in your child’s best interests.
Evidence is Everything When a Father Needs Exclusive Custody
Gathering evidence to show why your children would not benefit from a continued relationship with their mother is essential. No matter how reliable or trustworthy you have proven yourself to be, the court will very likely want to see strong evidence showing that the mother has been abusive towards the children or is otherwise unsafe for them to be around, even with supervision.
4 Tips to Keep Your Mind Healthy as a New Single Dad
Being a single dad is a challenging role that demands strength, patience, and resilience. While focusing on your children’s needs, it is vital to maintain your mental health. A family law lawyer can offer practical advice to help you stay mentally fit during this new chapter of your life.
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is not selfish; it is necessary. As a single dad, your well-being directly impacts your ability to care for your children. There is also a correlation between parents who struggle emotionally and a child’s mental health struggles. Here are some ways to prioritize self-care:
- Set aside time for physical exercise
- Maintain a balanced diet
- Ensure you get enough sleep
- Practice mindfulness or meditation
5 Ways to Make the Most of Summer Visitation Time
When parents live a significant distance from one another after a divorce, a dad with visitation rights may be given three weeks, six weeks, two months, or even longer during the summer months. While seeing your children for this length of time can be amazing, expect bumps along the way.
Older children may have summer camps or summer school that must be worked around. If you do not see your child regularly during the other months of the year, it can feel awkward on both sides. You may be unsure of what activities to plan, and reconnecting with your children can take some time.
Ideally, you and your ex will work together to schedule time in the summer months that works around everyone’s schedule. Courts generally agree with whatever the parents decide, so long as it is not detrimental to the children. The "best interests of the child" standard is nationwide, regardless of the state you live in. If you and your ex cannot agree, the court will intervene.
Legal Options When Your Ex Interferes with Parenting Time
Divorce is never easy, and when children are involved, it can become even more complicated. One of the most challenging situations a divorced parent can face is when an ex-partner interferes with court-ordered visitation rights. This not only causes emotional distress for the parent being denied access but can also have a profound impact on the children caught in the middle. If you find yourself in this situation, knowing your legal rights and the steps you can take to protect your relationship with your children is helpful.
What Makes a Situation a “Visitation Interference”?
Visitation interference occurs when one parent deliberately prevents the other from spending court-allocated time with the children. This can take many forms, such as:
- Consistently canceling or rescheduling visitations at the last minute
- Refusing to allow the children to leave for scheduled visits
- Making false allegations of abuse or neglect against the other parent
What to Do if You Are Falsely Accused of Abuse During Divorce
A YouGov poll in 2020 found that over 20 million Americans reported having been falsely accused of abuse. These allegations included domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and other forms of abuse. The survey also revealed that:
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Females were reported to be the accusers in 62% of cases.
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Nearly a third of the time, these false allegations were made during a child custody dispute.
In other words, dads are disproportionately at risk of being falsely accused of abuse in a divorce.
Once such allegations are made, they are likely to upend your life until you can clear your name with the help of a skilled divorce attorney. Accusations of abuse can cost you child custody, fines, and/or jail time.
Besides hiring a great divorce attorney who fights passionately for fathers’ rights, here are a few things to do if you are falsely accused of abuse in a divorce.
What You Need to Know About Spousal Support in an Illinois Divorce
There are numerous financial concerns that will affect you during your divorce. You will need to divide the assets that you and your spouse own together, which may include money you have saved, various types of personal property, your family home, business interests, and retirement accounts. While the distribution of your marital property can have a substantial impact on the financial resources that will be available to you going forward, you may also need to address ongoing concerns about income and expenses. If either you or your spouse may struggle to maintain financial stability, you may need to determine whether spousal support will be appropriate.
Spousal support, which is also known as alimony or spousal maintenance, usually consists of ongoing payments made by one spouse to the other, although it may also take the form of a lump sum payment. This financial support is meant to address economic disparities between divorcing spouses. If you believe that you should receive spousal support, or if your spouse is asking you to make ongoing payments, you can work with an experienced attorney to navigate this issue and determine what arrangements will be fair.
My Ex Became a Party Mom. Can I Get Sole Custody?
One of the most difficult parts of divorce is adjusting to life after the marriage ends. It can be especially disorienting if you feel that you and your spouse are living in opposite realities. You might be grieving while your spouse’s Instagram shows she is out partying most nights.
It is normal for newly single fathers in such a situation to want sole custody. But child custody laws are fairly rigid and courts do not like to change custody arrangements unless there is a very compelling reason. A skilled family law attorney can help you understand when you would be able to obtain sole custody of your child.
First, however, you should be honest with yourself about why you want child custody.
Why Do You Want Child Custody?
This is one of the first questions an experienced attorney will ask you, and your case depends on the answer. If it is for any other reason than the child’s best interest, filing a custody petition with a court can backfire on you.
How Much Will Divorce Cost Me?
A major reason why men are sometimes hesitant about getting a divorce is the financial implications. While anyone who gets divorced will have to pay for legal representation and court fees, men generally end up paying spousal support and child support. Depending on their financial circumstances, men sometimes need to pay for their spouse’s attorney as well. In many cases, the father moves out of the house while the divorce is underway and finds a different place to stay until everything is settled, and often they keep covering mortgage payments or other home maintenance costs while also paying rent for their new home.
Some of the financial drawbacks of divorce are unavoidable, but a knowledgeable divorce lawyer will be able to advise you on various steps you can take to take care of your finances in a more optimal manner. Following them can make your divorce much more manageable. You should not have to feel stuck in an unhappy marriage for fear of the financial impact divorce could have. A knowledgeable divorce lawyer who has experience representing fathers in such cases can offer you specially tailored legal advice to guide you as you move forward.
Post-Divorce Self-Care Tips That Really Work
Embarking on life after divorce can be a challenge, but it can also be a transformative journey. As you learn to live on your own and find a new normal, it is important to find time to rediscover yourself and prioritize your well-being. By embracing a healthy lifestyle that can be seamlessly integrated into your daily routine, you can make sure you will be able to survive as a single father after your divorce. Remember, taking care of yourself is not just about physical health; it is about nurturing your overall well-being.
Take a Break From the Screen
Many of us spend several hours per day looking at a screen, whether it is a computer or a phone. All that screen time can be detrimental to your physical and mental health, however, so it is a good idea to take breaks now and then. Unplug from technology and read a book, start a relaxing hobby, or listen to music. These breaks can help you get recentered after a long day, and reducing your screen time can have other benefits, such as giving you a better quality of sleep.
Dealing With Seasonal Depression as a Divorced Father
People may experience increased levels of depression during certain times of the year, and this can sometimes be a concerning issue for fathers who have gone through divorce and are struggling to adjust to the changes in their lives. In fact, this is such a frequent issue that it has a name: seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. This type of depression often occurs during the winter months when people experience less sunlight, they are stuck indoors due to cold weather, and they have fewer opportunities to participate in activities they enjoy.
While SAD can impact anyone, men are often affected, especially when they need to get up before dawn and work throughout the day, not going home until after sunset. Men who suffer from this condition may experience symptoms such as a lack of energy, sleeping more than usual, feelings of sadness, increased levels of irritability, weight gain, and social withdrawal.
For divorced fathers who are already navigating the challenges of co-parenting and who may have experienced emotional issues related to divorce, coping with seasonal depression can add an extra layer of difficulty. If you are in this situation, it is important to prioritize your mental health so that you can be the parent your kids need. Here are some strategies that may help.
