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  • anish
    | October 4, 2016
When you become a single father, it can be a very scary time. You don’t exactly know what this means for your relationship with the children that you love so much, and you probably aren’t aware of the rights that you have. Let’s look at some of those rights, and what you need to do to maintain them. Keep in mind that the decisions of the court could play a factor, and in those cases, your best course of action is to talk with your attorney.

Here are the things you need to remember:

  1. The Right to Maintain a Relationship. Fathers have the right to have an ongoing relationship with their children, and while this can be challenging, it is essential at every stage of your child’s life. The best thing to do is to work with their mother so you can come up with a plan that is suitable for everyone. Just remember, if you’ve been absent from your children’s life for a long period, it can be difficult to get back into their life. In addition, if you have a bad relationship with your ex, you will have to regain her trust and show her that you can be a good parent.

  2. The Right to Spend Time With the Kids. Some fathers will only have visitation rights for their children, as they do not have custody. While this can be a hard pill to swallow, you have to abide by what the courts say in this matter. You should come up with a visitation schedule so you can make consistent, regular visits to the child. Being consistent is better for the kids, as well as you and your ex-wife’s schedule.

  3. The Right to Make Decisions Regarding the Child. If you share custody with your ex, then you will also have the right to collaborate when you are making decisions about the child on things such as the medical care they receive, education, and religion. Keep in mind that collaborating and arguing are different. When there are disagreements, you need to remain calm so you and the ex can work things out like adults.

  4. Your Responsibilities. Please keep in mind that even though you have a number of rights as a single father that you need respected, you also have a number of responsibilities. Make sure that you are keeping up with all of those responsibilities, such as child support and visiting and spending time with the child, if you hope to keep your rights.

In addition, the outcome of your divorce and the custody hearing can play a role in the rights you have as a father. It’s always a good idea to have an attorney who can help you maintain your rights and who can explain them to you. Follow what the court says, do your best to be a great father, and even become a great ex, so that your wife doesn’t have anything that she can use against you.

Good luck.