Some mothers who become single parents through a divorce may wish to know their legal rights regarding child custody, child support, and other family law areas. Having a clear understanding of your rights as a single mother is vital to the outcome of your family law case. The most important aspect to consider is the best interests of the child. Although family law is generally gender-neutral, there are times when you need a Salt Lake City family law attorney to protect your interests.
Basic rights
Single parents have legal parental rights, whether they are married or single except one of the parents’ rights is revoked due to illicit behavior such as substance abuse and domestic violence. These rights involve child custody, respect from the children, the rights to other benefits that the children might have, as well as being able to sue the parent not providing child support or hurting the child in any way. Each parent has specific responsibilities under law to provide for their children and care for them.
History
Although mothers are generally given preference in parental rights cases based on the importance of their relationship with the child, the paternal relationship is equally important and the law is more gender-neutral. Yet in most cases, mothers are still given preference.
Child Custody
When it comes to custody, both parents need to get involved in making decisions that will favor the children. In other words, both the father and the mother need to get involved in their children’s lives. The court makes important custody decisions based on the level of involvement each parent has and other issues such as substance abuse and health issues they may be struggling with. Some single mothers may struggle to provide for their children, which may not work to their advantage. However, it is advantageous when the mother is the primary caregiver.
Visitation
Children and parents have visitation rights. A non-custodial single mom can seek her visitation rights with the help of a Salt Lake City child visitation attorney. Parents who seek to deny the child’s right to visitation will not succeed unless they can prove that the other parent is unfit.
Child support
Child support is often misunderstood. It is the child who is entitled to receive this support and not the other parent otherwise it will be called spousal support and other elements may apply. The custodial parent generally seeks this type of support as the non-custodial parent tends to provide a larger financial contribution.
Claiming your legal rights
If you are a single mother in Salt Lake City with any family law questions, contact us today and learn more about your parental rights. Whether you need to enforce child support, seek full custody of your children, or seeking protection from domestic abuse, we are here to lead you on the right legal path.