Time and time again, the evidence has shown that a father's involvement with his children can be an integral component to their success. There's also overwhelming evidence that children who are raised without the involvement of their fathers tend to be more problematic. Our law firm understands the importance of a father's role in the lives of his children. If you're a father facing paternity, custody, visitation or support issues, we'll aggressively invoke your right to fulfill your role through effective legal representation.
Fathers are in the best interests of the family
When a father's rights are effectively represented, that operates to be in the best interests of everybody in a family. As a loving and caring father in New York City, the law allows you every opportunity for a fair and reasonable judicial resolution of your parental relationship with your child. Our law firm represents fathers on every aspect of their rights. We'll make the best possible legal arguments for you on issues involving your fundamental rights as a father like:
- Parenting time
- Child support
- Restraining orders
- Modifications
Parenting time
The common myth still persists that a mother is automatically granted the sole care, custody and control of a child. The law provides otherwise though, and it recognizes that the rights of a father are equal to those of a mother. Although New York law doesn't favor joint custody, we've been successful in invoking and enforcing rights on behalf of fathers, and we've even been successful in representing them in changes of custody.
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Visitation
After custody has been awarded to one parent, the other parent is entitled to visitation or parenting time. It's the preference of the courts for non-custodial parents to have liberal access to their children while maintaining a nurturing relationship with both parents. The fact that a father might not be a custodial parent doesn't diminish his right to liberal visitation or deny him the right to his child's school or medical records. Non-custodial fathers have the right to meet with teachers and medical providers, while also having the right to attend school functions and sporting events.
Child support
Bad things can happen with jobs, especially in this economy. Always remember that visitation and child support are two separate and distinct issues that can't be tied into each other. That fact that a father might be in arrears in child support because of economic forces out of his control does not impact his right to visitation. Talk to us about a temporary modification of child support after losing your job. We might also need to help you in enforcing your right to visitation.
Restraining orders
Sometimes the relocation of a child will operate to interfere with a father's parenting and visitation rights. Although the father might not have custodial rights, his right to visitation and parenting time is usually paramount to that of the mother if she chooses to move far away. Courts take a father's parenting time very seriously. Contact us right away of the mother of your child is threatening to move far away. Provisions are in place to obtain an appropriate restraining order. You must act quickly though.
Modifications
New York courts recognize that dynamic economic and social circumstances can change the lives of people. If as a father, you're no longer able to comply with the original terms of a custody, visitation or child support order, you have the right to ask a judge to modify the prior order. Never try to do this without court approval. Courts don't recognize informal modification agreements. Contact us to protect your rights in any modification.
As attorneys advocating for the rights of fathers, we're determined to show that you're as instrumental to the lives of your children as their mother is. We encourage you to remain an active parent, and should you need an advocate to invoke your rights as a father, we offer attentive, aggressive and effective legal representation for fathers. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions that you might have about your rights as a father. We'll be pleased to talk with you, and we'll advise you on how we might best address your concerns.