There are undoubtedly several single dads who will be pondering a question that is oft held by single dads throughout the country: "What are my chances at winning custody of my children?"
It is totally possible to win child custody in Georgia as a single dad. Georgia courts make awards of child custody irrespective of the parent's gender. In fact, according to the Official Code of Georgia, courts presiding over child custody matters will not consider gender when making custody decisions. Specifically, Georgia law states, in relevant part:
In all cases in which the custody of any child is at issue between the parents, there shall be no prima-facie right to the custody of the child in the father or mother. There shall be no presumption in favor of any particular form of custody, legal or physical, nor in favor of either parent. […].
O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3 (a)(1).
In fact, more single fathers are winning custody of their children than ever before. According to census.gov, 18.3% of fathers had primary physical custody of their children in 2011. This may not seem significant at first blush, but considering that only 6.1% of fathers had primary physical custody of their children in 1993 the 2011 statistic illustrates a marked improvement. If you are a dedicated and loving single father who wants to fight for primary custody of your child or children, or if you are father who wishes to have more parenting time with your children, contact your Atlanta Divorce Team to learn more about your rights as a father and what steps you should take to be successful in your child custody case.