mbr@aoa.UUCP (Mark Rosenthal) (08/15/85)
In article <480@tymix.UUCP> whitehur@tymix.UUCP (Pamela K. Whitehurst) writes: >I think an unwed father should have the same right as a divorced father. >Including the right to request custody. As far as I can tell, this is not the way the world actually works. The experience of male friends of mine who have requested even joint custody is that this is only an option if the mother agrees. In contested cases, it seems that custody is almost invariably granted to the mother. Sole custody by the father seems only to be granted, if the mother agrees or has been proved to have taken part in the Sharon Tate murders (or something equally henious). Anybody know for certain what the laws are? I'm sure they vary from state to state. Anybody know how closely actual practice follows the laws? In other words, under what circumstances (if any) can an unmarried father obtain custody of his children if he and the mother should split up? How does being married change this? Of all cases in which both unmarried parents request sole custody of the child, in what percent of the cases was custody granted to the father? Is there on record, even a single case of this happening? What about cases in which the father (believing that he cannot possibly hope for sole custody if the mother objects) requests joint custody and the mother requests sole custody? What are the analogous percentages for married parents? Any lawyers out there? If you have hard facts, please include pointers to your sources. If they're opinions, please label them as such. -- Mark of the Valley of Roses ...!{decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!aoa!mbr