Union County Fathers’ Rights Lawyer
Determining what a man’s rights are as a father can be contentious in the context of divorce, custody, adoption, paternity, and parental leave. The legal rights of fathers pertaining to their children have received stronger recognition in recent years as fathers play a more prominent role in raising their children. New Jersey and other states have passed laws explicitly for the purpose of protecting this valuable father-child relationship.
Schedule a consultation with a Union County fathers’ rights lawyer if you are a father in need of an advocate who could help explain and enforce the rights and responsibilities of raising your children. Whether you are looking to establish paternity, believe you are owed child support or think you deserve to have more visitation opportunities, a seasoned family attorney could fight for you and your children.
The Rights of Fathers in Common New Jersey Disputes
A father who has established paternity stands on equal ground with the child’s mothers in all state family law matters. For example, child custody laws applicable to New Jersey give favor to neither the mother nor the father in a dispute, as there is a presumption that a child’s best interests are served by frequent and continuing contact with both parents.
While years ago courts may have deferred to mothers in child custody matters, this is no longer true. If a mother has physical custody of a child more often than the father, the father is generally still entitled to spend time with their child and actively parent them. A court could decide how much parenting time is appropriate for the best interests of the child.
Likewise, both parents must provide financial support to their children in New Jersey. Child support is calculated based on the combined income of the parents and how much time each parent and the child spend together, and a child is entitled to this support. A Union County father’s right attorney could help ensure a father receives an appropriate amount of child support or is granted reasonable expectations for paying support.
How to Assert Parenting Rights
Barring exceptional circumstances such as drug addiction or history of physical abuse, a father has an absolute right to participate in his child’s upbringing. Whenever feasible, though, developing and maintaining an amicable relationship with the child’s mother is an ideal way to promote collaborative co-parenting and flexibility with parenting wishes.
It is also important for fathers to actively voice their desire to take part in their child’s life. If custody is not an option, fathers could seek visitation rights to share as much quality time with their child as possible.
In certain cases, there may be opportunities in which a father’s rights lawyer in Union County could help pursue mediation or arbitration to settle custody and other conflicts with the child’s mother. Alternative dispute resolution may be more effective and less expensive for all parties than adversarial court proceedings.
Contact a Union County Fathers’ Rights Attorney for More Information
In New Jersey, you have rights as a father to child custody, child support, visitation rights, and all aspects of your child’s best interests. Contact a Union County fathers’ rights lawyer today if you have any questions about what you are entitled to under state law as the father of your child.
