The strengthening Families Act of 2003 stated that thirty four percent of all American children live apart from their biological fathers. Forty percent of those children have not seen their fathers in over a year, and fifty percent of those children have never visited their father’s home. The US Census Bureau has reported that five out of six custodial parents are mothers, and that nearly forty percent of fathers have no access or visitation rights to their children.
Unfortunately, many parenting plans in Florida have restrictive visitation rules for the parent with less time-sharing, and do not promote shared parenting or the presence of a child’s father in his or her life after the divorce. Further, a national study revealed that nearly forty percent of custodial mothers admitted to interfering with the father’s visitation to punish him. About fifty percent of mothers reported that they saw no value in their child’s continued contact with the father. The result is the loss of a close relationship between the father and his child.
The fourth judicial circuit guidelines for time-sharing arrangements in the Jacksonville area are the model by which most time-sharing arrangements are designed. However, many times the parent with the most time-sharing takes matters into their own hands by not following the terms of the parenting plan and preventing the other parent from spending time with their child.
If this is happening to you there are laws that protect you. You have a right to spend time with your child. Meet with a Jacksonville Divorce Attorney and discuss what can be done to protect your rights as a parent.
Read more about the plight of divorced fathers and their children at GUEST VIEWPOINT: After divorce, fathers too often excluded from parenting .
If you are considering divorce, please contact our firm for expert family law counsel.