Often when it comes to child custody in Kentucky, the sole focus is on the rights of mothers. However, fathers have rights too. The court system continues to change as legal and child development professionals acknowledge the importance of the father-child relationship.
Aiming for equality between mothers and fathers
Advocates for this social movement believe that fathers should have just as much opportunity to parent their children as mothers. The change advocated for in this movement applies to family law.
The argument is that biases in the legal system make things harder for fathers. This unequal treatment has been called out by fathers’ rights advocates in child support, custody decisions and visitations.
Proponents of the fathers’ rights movement argue that countless dads out there wish they could fulfill their role as parents but aren’t allowed the option. The movement’s main objective is to even the playing field for fathers. This includes both legal and physical custody. The movement’s other primary aim is to get mothers to bear more of the financial burden of raising children.
An often misunderstood movement
Some of the main controversies about this movement in family law include the fact that it tends to get lumped into the same category as the men’s rights movement. Those who support this cause often struggle to distinguish themselves from others with hostility towards mothers’ rights and misogynistic viewpoints, and they frequently have to defend themselves against such accusations.
This movement has roots that go back to the ’60s and ’70s. Because of the high divorce rates at the time, there was a fresh wave of fathers who got a raw deal in a battle for custody of their children. The loss of time with their children and the unreasonable expectations of child support and alimony led many fathers to join together and try to do something about it.