Can a Father Win Custody in Virginia?

As gender roles have quite apparently shifted, more fathers are seeking to gain custody of their children and eventually do win their cases.

In the matter of fact, some lawyers in Virginia now call themselves “father’s rights specialists” and the following are their top 5 ways to help fathers win their battles to gain child custody.

5 ways to win a father’s right custody battle:

1. Try to negotiate – before filing your case of gaining child custody to the court in Virginia, fathers should sit with the mother of the child (ex-wife) and try to negotiate their case. They might eventually reach an agreement or a parenting plan that will suit both parents (joint custody), this will also save up a lot of trouble and expenses of the case if it went to court.
2. Be present – “father’s rights” lawyers always advice male caretaker to persistently be involved with their child’s life. This may be done in various simple and easy ways such as picking their child from school regularly, taking them to doctor appointments, attending their games/plays and all school or parent/teacher meetings. This all contributes because it makes the people involved in the child’s life such as doctors, teachers, coaches and caretakers aware of the importance of the father in the child’s life which will, later on, help greatly in the case.
3. Maintain a good reputation as a father – Fathers should want to establish a good image of them as parents through the eyes of others and most importantly to the court. They must ask their friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors and so on to write “recommendation letters” for them that describe their personality and what great male caretakers/parents they are. This gives them an advantage as the judge, especially in Virginia, will be more inclined to choose the parent with the better reputation and evidence as a “good male caretaker”.
4. Use Income Power – Men in Virginia usually have a higher income than women ( not necessarily but in most cases). This could be used to the male caretaker’s advantage when trying to win the case. They must make sure it is clear to the court that because they earn more income, they could provide more advantages to the minor such as a good neighborhood, school, and environment. This will help the male caretaker to gain custody because the judge looks at the minor’s best interest.
5. Getting Remarried is a Positive – Fathers in Virginia should not get remarried as a purpose of winning their case of gaining child custody. However, if the male caretaker does happen to think of marriage, they must not push this thought away due to the case because having a new wife will in a matter of fact help him gain child custody. The court thinks that a most suitable environment for the minor is one in which both “father” and “mother” are present and the new wife can be considered as a mother figure in the house.

If you need a Virginia Child Custody lawyer to help you with your minor guardianship case in Virginia, call us at 888-437-7747. Our Virginia Child Custody attorneys can help you. C