Divorce Advice for Men | Fathers Rights Divorce | Child Custody

By Robin W. Klein

Mens Divorce Attorney, Cordell and Cordell

Paternity law is a complex area of law that frequently discriminates against fathers rights.

It's not uncommon for family law attorneys to have clients with children that have never been married to the mother nor been to court who simply have verbal agreements about who pays what and who gets to see the child when.

In these situations, the mothers have all the power since unwed fathers generally have few rights to their children.

So if you are an unwed dad, here is what you should expect in terms of child support, parenting time, health insurance costs, etc., if your child's mother finally takes you to court to have a judge formalize your relationship.

By Nathan A. Hacker

Mens Divorce Attorney, Cordell & Cordell

Paternity law is a growing area of litigation as currently more than 4 out of 10 children are born to unmarried parents, according to the National Center For Health Statistics.

Of the 41 percent of children born out of wedlock, many biological fathers are not even in the picture at the time of birth only to find out years later that they are in fact the father.

In these situations, how does an unwed biological father gain child custody or visitation rights? How long will it take? What factors are considered? How much of a role does the mother's behavior have in these determinations?

Question:

My divorce question is about unwed fathers rights and child custody laws.

My girlfriend took our child to another state and said she has no intentions of ever returning.

What are my rights as an unwed biological father to force my daughter be returned home?

Question:

My fiancée and I would like to move to another state. She has two children with a man that she was never married to.

Does he have any legal right to prevent us from moving with the children since he was never married to the mother?

Question:

My girlfriend and I live together and have a daughter together.

If we were to break up, would I have the right to seek custody of my child even though we are not married?