Question about child custody.?

Question

I see alot of people responding to abortion and child support questions that say a man should always pay support.

But this is assuming one thing.

That the mother automatically gets custody.

Is this indicative that mothers get custody by default? If so, how do you feel about that?

Answer 1

Yes, I think both parents should have custody of their children.  I thik both should be part of their lives as long as they are not scumbags.

Answer 2

I know several men who have custody of their children, and some have had to sue their wives for child support.  The Courts do what is in the best interests of the children, which usually means giving custody to the parent who tends to the children's needs most of the time.  Although in many families this is the Mom, it is often the Dad and Dads make wonderful parents.  It is always an individual matter.

Answer 3

This is the result of Feminism.  Mothers do, generally get custody of the child even if they are unfit to be parents.  The notion that fathers are poor at parenting is a false premise (a gender myth largely proliferated by Feminists).

Child support should be paid by whichever party doesn't receive sole custody of the child.  Regrettably, the product of Feminism is that it's usually the mother who receives custody, and often she is a prostitute or a crystal meth addict and/or paedophile.

Answer 4

If the relationship breaks up before the child is born, or while the child is an infant, it is generally assumed the woman will get custody because of the importance of the mother-infant bond.  This is particularly true if the woman is breastfeeding, which shouldn't be discouraged just so the father can assert his "rights."

Of course, if the relationship dissolves so early in the child's life, the mother will have an automatic custodial advantage in that time spent does matter, and she will likely (if she's any kind of decent mother at all) get the lion's share of time with the child.  Again, this is not gender bias, this has to do with the mother-infant bond, and/or breastfeeding.

When the breakup occurs later, particularly if the parents were cohabiting, the father has a much stronger chance of getting custody because he will get credit for having lived with the child during infancy, same as mom.

All that said, I think the courts do an extremely poor job of determining who the better parent is, and the children are the biggest losers all around.  Think before you breed. :-|

Answer 5

Some fathers do get custody, and I think it should happen more often.  Whichever parent can give the child the best life should get custody.

R. Gasparii, women getting custody has NOTHING whatsoever to do with feminism.  It's an old-fashioned standard stemming from the belief that women should be at home caring for the children.  That doesn't sound very feminist, does it?

Answer 6

The tradition of women being the default custody parent has very little to do with feminism.  It is a conservative notion that is based on stereotyped gender roles.  It is slowly being replaced by the (correct) notion that it is the best interests of the child which need to be considered in custody matters.  Fathers and mothers should have equal standing when making such a consideration.  But as feminists know, stereotypes and traditions based on gender can be difficult to change.

Answer 7

A mothers love can not be replaced.  There are some great fathers out there, but not too many that want to raise a child.

Answer 8

by default is usually the mother. It's not right, and should be changed. Anyone who believes in equality should believe that. I could tell you horror stories about the family court system. I don't think feminist caused this situation. Good men and women are working to change these laws. too many bad mothers are taking advantage of the laws, non feminist women. I'm not sure how this problem has been layed at the feet of feminist.