Unmarried dads often feel as if they have no rights to their own children. Despite this common and persistent myth, family law courts understand that fathers have much to contribute to the lives of their kids. As such, courts typically look for ways in which both parents can love and care for their children, regardless of whether they ever married.
As lawyers and advocates for families in Ohio, we strongly urge all dads, married and unmarried, to participate in their child’s upbringing. This benefits children in more ways than we can count, and it adds much joy to the father’s life as well. While many fathers want to have a share of their child’s custody, a large number of them do not know how to go about exercising their parental rights.
For these dads, we recommend learning about your rights as a first step. You can do this on your own or by speaking with an attorney. An extra benefit of seeking legal counsel is having access to proven strategies that can lead to shared or sole custody of your kids. At the very least, securing your parental rights will allow you to experience meaningful visitation time with your children.
In the end, doing what is best for your children is one of the most important jobs you will have as an adult. If you are worried that you may fail in your quest, we invite you to explore our website for answers. We offer in-depth information to help unmarried dads establish paternity, find child custody solutions and continue building a parent/child bond that will last a lifetime.