Promoting Rights for Fathers in Massachusetts
Fatherhood, by law, gives you certain rights and responsibilities with respect to your children. As a father, you have the same rights as the children's mother to be the primary custodial parent. You have the right to be an influence on your children; to spend time with your children; to love and nurture your children; to decide where your child will live; to participate in parenting; to see your children's school and medical records; to follow your own parenting style during your time with the children and to have a say in what's in their best interests.
Lawyers Who Fight for Equality for Fathers
Fathers almost always feel that the deck is stacked against them. They feel that they are being forced to pay the price for a minority of husbands and fathers who ignore their responsibilities. At the and Norwood offices of The Massachusetts Family Law Group, our lawyers are helping to change this by advocating for fathers to be treated equally. With more than 40 years of combined experience, our attorneys understand — often because many of us are divorced parents — what you are going through.
Educating Fathers About Their Rights and Options
One of the ways our attorneys help fathers is to educate them about their rights and options in divorce. For example:
- Many men do not realize that they have the legal right to be involved in all decisions related to their child.
- Men frequently simply do not respond to a complaint and summons, believing that their wife will back down or withdraw her complaint. We make sure they understand that it doesn't work that way.
- Some men sign divorce and custody agreements that they don't like, thinking that they can work it out later. This is wrong — these are legal documents that are enforceable by the court. We tell them, "If you don't like it, don't sign it."
- We help our clients understand how to act and how not to act in court. Examples include always saying "our" children, not "my" children and beginning each complaint against the mother with the word "I" (i.e., "I am concerned," or "I worry that …").
- Some men get discouraged and don't fight back. We support our clients during the process, making sure that their side of the case is thoroughly prepared and well-argued. They know that with our attorneys at their side, they will have their day in court. We make sure they know the specific things they can do to strengthen their cases and help them win custody or prevent them from losing custody or visitation.
Many fathers are unmarried. They still have rights. We help fathers establish paternity and seek custody and visitation so they can be involved in their children's lives.
Approaching Every Case as if We Are Headed All the Way to Trial
From the moment we start with your father's rights case, our attorneys will prepare as if we are going to trial. Even in those instances where we are confident that the parties won't go that far, we still build the case with the assumption that it will proceed to the courtroom. We do this because when cases are litigated vigorously from the beginning, the parties are more willing to be reasonable with each other.
Specifically Tailored Guidance for Fathers
Fathers are sometimes given second-class, or "babysitter" status in Massachusetts custody cases. Not if that father is represented by our firm! If you are a father concerned with preserving your lifestyle after divorce, you want to maintain your relationship with your children, and you want your financial rights protected - all without the drama, grief, and frustration that men sometimes experience - contact The Massachusetts Family Law Group.
To learn more, call a Boston fathers' rights lawyer at (800) 763-1030. Or, send an e-mail to schedule a free initial consultation. We represent fathers throughout Eastern Massachusetts, fighting for their rights and for positive outcomes for them and for their children. Our cases appear regularly in the Probate and Family courts in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Middlesex counties.
