A father who wants to be granted shared or primary physical custody of his children may fear this could never happen. The individual may have heard that mothers nearly always win in custody hearings and divorce cases. If the mother is petitioning to be the primary custodial parent, the father needs a family law Attorney in Torrance CA for legal representation.
Today’s Statistics
In the 21st Century, only about 10 percent of custody cases are decided by a judge. The others either are decided directly between the two parents or with the help of an impartial mediator.
Nevertheless, mothers still are the primary caregivers in most cases, although shared physical custody has become relatively common. It’s understandable why a father would be nervous about bringing his case to court. The judge will want to know why shared custody is not preferable and why one parent is more suited than the other for primary custody.
How a Judge Evaluates the Case
A judge looks at aspects such as the amount of time the mother and the father have been spending on caring for the youngsters. Traditionally and currently, that tends to be a mother’s task more than it is the father’s. Mothers are significantly more likely to pause their career and stay home to raise children, at least until the youngsters are in school full-time.
Research shows that on average, married mothers spend more than twice as much time on parenting as married fathers do. Thus, an Attorney in Torrance CA can advise clients that judges are not necessarily engaging in gender discrimination when they make their decisions.
Partial Custody
With legal representation by an organization such as Shook & Associates Inc, a father normally has a very good chance of being granted partial custody if the mother is fighting for full custody. Unless there is some reason he cannot meet his parental obligations or has a history of neglect or criminal behavior, judges typically encourage both parents to be fully involved in the children’s lives. Often, that means sharing custody to the extent this is possible. Visit to learn more about this particular lawyer.