Child Custody
After a divorce, obtaining custody of a child or several children can be a very taxing process. Ultimately, both the parents and the court want what is best for the child. The well-being of children is so important that there has been a great deal of research about children of divorced parents to ensure that the children are not psychologically harmed by the stresses and emotions involved in the divorce process.
In 2007, about a quarter of all children in the United States under the age of 18 lived with only one parent. Of these, only about 15% lived with their custodial fathers.
For children who live with only their mothers, over half of them have contact with their fathers. The average number of days spent with the father for these children was 69 days per year.
In 2003, 10 million of the 12 million one-parent families in the United States were headed by women. The other sixth were maintained by men.
Children raised by divorced mothers generally score lower than children of consistently married couples in the realms of:
- Academia
- Conduct
- Psychological adjustment
- Social competence
- Long-term health outcomes
The difference in the averages is fairly small. Many studies suggest that children of divorced families typically recover and move on from the effects of divorce over time.
Speak with an Austin Child Custody Lawyer
Deciding custody rights can be a hard thing to do. If you or someone you know is going through this, please contact the Austin child custody lawyers of Slater, Kennon & Pugh Ltd.LLP at 512-472-2431. They can tell you your rights as a parent, and help you through the process.