Founder
In recent years, the phrase “fathers’ rights” has become more and more commonplace. Fathers’ rights refer to the standing of fathers in a wide range of family law issues including things like establishment of paternity, enforcement of parental rights, and child custody. While the courts have a long history of favoring the mother in many of these types of cases, those advocates of the Fathers’ Rights Movement, seek to tip the scales so that fathers are placed on equal footing as mothers when it comes to family law issues.
What is the Fathers’ Rights Movement?
The Fathers’ Rights Movement (FTM) has gained significant momentum over the past several years. Members of the movement advocate for equal treatment between fathers and mothers in family law. They seek to empower fathers in standing up for their legal rights regarding their children. They also seek to bring awareness to the family court system and the general public about the crucial role that fathers play in the lives of their children and in society as a whole. The FTM is committed to highlighting the rocky footing fathers have historically stood on in the family court system and seeks to remedy this.
Advocates for the FTM look to help fathers do things such as establishing paternity. For instance, current Florida law states that when an unmarried woman delivers a child, the alleged father should sign an affidavit along with the mother before he can be entered on the birth certificate. Unmarried biological fathers may not be aware of the fact that they have the right to file a paternity claim. He will need to file forms with the Florida Putative Father Registry. The unmarried biological father jeopardizes his legal parental rights to the child if he does not take appropriate actions.
The FTM also focuses on issues regarding visitation and child custody. While there has been a historical bias among the courts that leans towards favoring the mother for these kinds of things, Florida family courts are not to favor either parent for child custody or visitation purposes. The main concern of the court is to be what is in the best interest of the child. Psychological studies have shown that children benefit from having both parents involved. The fact that a child benefits when he or she is supported emotionally and financially by both parents is something that the FTM seeks to make clear in family courts.
Orlando Fathers’ Rights Attorneys
The dedicated family law attorneys at Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou understand that protecting the rights of fathers is important for everyone. Children reap the benefits of having both parents as an active part of their lives. Whether it be establishing paternity, developing a child custody and visitation plan, or something else, we are here to stand by your side and advocate for your legal rights. For all of your Fathers’ Rights questions or concerns, contact us today.
