Family Law Blog

Women’s Equality in the Work Place Equals Men’s Equality in Child Custody Cases

By Denver Divorce Lawyer on December 9, 2009

The New York Times recently talked about a trend affecting child custody and today’s work force. Citing articles from Working Mother Magazine, the story talks specifically about child custody and how mothers are no longer virtually ensured of receiving primary physical custody of their children during the divorce process.

Formerly, when women were more often associated with caring for young children, and men were deemed the primary wage earners, it was viewed as being in the best interest of the child or children involved that they remain in the custody of the parent that had assumed more of the care-giving role. This label was dominantly attributed to stay-at-home moms. However, with the work force now a more gender diverse arena, and the downtrodden economy taking its toll on men more so than women, men in particular are facing more layoffs and, consequently, find themselves at home assuming the roles of ‘Mr. Mom.”

The label of “primary caregiver’ was never gender specific, although it used to be dominantly associated with the female gender. That association, however, has taken a serious hit in recent years, and more and more instances of fathers gaining primary custody of children during divorce proceedings are popping up all across the country. According to the article, there are now 2.2 million divorced mothers in the United States who do not have primary custody of their children. Furthermore, an estimated 50% of fathers who seek primary custody of their children receive custody.

Regardless of the circumstances, child custody hearings can be complicated. While it may be safe to assume that the working parent is the number two caregiver, this is not always the case. For that reason, all details surrounding divorce and custody cases need to be carefully examined in order to accurately determine the proper custodial agreement.

If you are dealing with child custody issues in the state of Colorado, it is in your best interest to retain the services of an experienced Denver family law attorney who will fight to ensure that your rights are upheld at all times in a court of law. At Kaplan Law, LLC, our skilled divorce attorneys understand how difficult issues surrounding custody hearings can be. If you would like more information about protecting your rights, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 1-877-527-5206.

Source:http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/more-fathers-getting-custody-in-divorce/