As Father's Day approaches, the USA Today has published an uplifting report on the relationships between fathers and their children after divorce.
The outcome of a California divorce and child custody agreement can have a lifelong impact on your relationship with your children. Seeking the advice of a qualified Los Angeles child custody attorney is critical to protecting your parental rights.
Half of all children in the United States will not live with their father for at least part of their childhood. Historically, divorce accounted for the majority of non-resident fathers. Today, more and more fathers were never married to the mother of their children. In either case, establishing parental rights is critical to building healthy, long-term relationships with your children. And non-resident fathers continue to enjoy more contact with their children. In 1976, just 18 percent saw their kids weekly. By 2002, that number had grown to 31 percent. Meanwhile, the number of dads who had not contact declined, from 37 percent to 29 percent.
While the presence of a father in the household frequently has a positive impact on the well-being of children, research that appeared last month in the Journal of Family Issues found that the quality of the relationship may be even more important. Children who reported close relationships with non-resident fathers reported higher self-esteem, lower delinquency and fewer symptoms of depression than those who live with fathers in situations where no close relationship exists.
"The point isn't what fathers do; it's whether the kid thinks or believes the father cares about them," says Philip Cowan, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California-Berkeley.
While barriers still exist, the number of parents claiming equal footing through visiting rights, joint custody and parenting plans is also on the rise. And technology, including text messaging and e-mails, has made sharing time with children easier.
As with other studies, this report clearly suggests that two loving parents who are separated can provide a better foundation for a child than unhappy parents who insist on keeping a marriage together for the sake of the children. The caveat, as always, is ensuring that you seek the legal help necessary to protect your parenting rights and your relationship with your children.
Los Angeles Child Custody Lawyer Mitchell A. Jacobs has dedicated his career to fighting for the rights of clients in all types of family matters, including divorce and child custody. He has been a Board Certified Family Law Specialist since 1986, a distinction obtained by fewer than 1 in 200 California attorneys. Call (310) 472-7979 to discuss your rights.
