The rights of fathers are an important area to discuss since they are equivalent in the law to the rights that a mother enjoys. Here’s what you need to know.
What rights do I have as a father with respect to the legal custody of my children?
Rights In Regards To Joint Legal Custody In Orange County
Orange County family law is known to favor agreements and orders that grant joint legal custody to both of the parents. The primary reason for this is that the law in California wants the parents to prefer joint legal custody, since it enables both of them to be involved in the decision-making for the child’s benefit. One of your main rights as a father is that you should be involved in all of the decisions that are made in your child’s life. This includes rights such as:
- Decisions with respect to the extracurricular or school activities of the child.
- Decisions that are related to medications, visits to the doctors and other aspects that are concerned with the health of the child.
- Other non school related decisions integral to the child’s life.
- Decisions that concern the religion of the child or whether he or she is to remain without a religion.
- To be listed in the medical and school list of the child and be entitled to receive information about them.
- Decisions such as the traveling of the child and where he or she will live.
What are my rights in California with respect to physical custody as a father?
As a father, as previously mentioned, you have the same rights as a mother has in a family law case. Fathers in an Orange County child custody case have the right to have a constant, regular, and frequent contact with their child. While you need not really get into the cases such as joint or primary physical custody, you should however make sure that these rights of yours are made sure of by the courts through an order.
What if I am a single father? Are my rights affected?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions and the answer to this question is that there are going to be no changes to your rights whether you are a single father, currently married father, or a divorced one. You will have the same rights to see your child as any other married father will have.
Gerald A. Maggio is an experienced Orange County divorce and family law attorney and family law attorney located in Irvine, California, serving the Orange County and Riverside areas. Mr. Maggio assists clients with legal issues including divorce, legal separation, divorce mediation, child custody, prenuptial agreements, stepparent adoptions, and other family law issues. Mr. Maggio has practiced law in California since 1999, and founded The Maggio Law Firm in 2005, focusing exclusively on divorce and family law matters.
