The relationship between parents and their children is often more easily maintained for married parents, but that doesn’t mean that the relationship is any less important for fathers of children involved in an unmarried or divorced situation. Throughout the years in the United States, the medical field has acknowledged the importance of a father’s role in a child’s life. The courts have followed suit, implementing laws over the decades to assure that a father’s rights are protected and making it easier for the relationship between a father and his children to be fulfilled.

These rights begin even before the birth of a child. For a mother who wishes to put her child up for adoption, the father has the right to petition for custody of the child even before the adoption phase.

Fathers also have the right to seek child custody of their child. There are various types of custody that may be awarded, including physical and legal custody, as well as joint custody for parents who are able to work together and split time with the child evenly.

Even if a father does not have custody of a child, he is still entitled to parenting time, which is often determined in an agreement with the courts. These Men’s and Fathers’ Rights are important, not only for the father, but for the best interests of the children, and they can be fought in courts if it is believed that the custodial parent is denying a father time with his children.

Source: findlaw.com, “Fathers’ Rights,” Accessed May 2, 2017