Without a doubt, courts here in Texas and across the country once favored keeping kids with their mothers. Even under questionable circumstances, family courts used to believe that children were better off with their mothers than with their fathers full time. Fortunately, that bias is fading away, and even though most courts would prefer parents to share custody these days, more fathers win child custody battles than at any other time.
In order to prevail in receiving full custody of the children, a father will need to show the court that it is in the best interests of the children to do so. As in any other court hearing, providing the right evidence is essential. In order to accomplish that task, it would help to know what factors the court considers.
Of course, the first factor courts must be satisfied with is that the paternity of the children. If paternity is not an issue, the next step is to document the nature of each parent’s relationship with the children. This often includes any information regarding the current custody and visitation arrangements the parents have during the proceedings. If the evidence supports a father receiving full custody, the court may well order it.
More than likely, even a successful bid by a father would result in liberal visitation by the mother unless the circumstances make it harmful to the children. Texas fathers who believe that their children’s best interests would be best served by having full child custody may want to enlist the help of a family law attorney. Doing so could increase the chances of a successful hearing.
Source: thespruce.com, “How can fathers get full custody?“, Debrina Washington, Accessed on Dec. 17, 2017
