Should fathers be given the same chance as mothers to gain custody of their minor children? (Essay Sample)

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"Should fathers be given the same chance as mothers to gain custody of their minor children?"
Years of divorce rates coupled with the rising birthrates among unmarried women have increased the number of fatherless households. Statistics from the United States Bureau of Statistics show that more than a third of American children do not live with their biological fathers and another 18 million children do not have any father figure in their households (Koch 475). To prevent the burgeoning rates of fatherless households, fathers should be accorded equal chances to enable them gain custody of minor children. A father’s involvement in the life of a child is as equally important as that of the mother.
Until recently, chances of a father gaining custody of a minor child during custody disputes were much less as compared to those of the woman (Kellam 26). The biased legal system contributed to the exclusion of the father from the life of the child in favor of maternal preference. Court decisions should neither favor the father nor the mother during determination of custody but the decisions should serve to fulfil the best interests of the child. With the help of the right family law attorney and ‘gender-neutral" laws, fathers should be able to prove to the court that he is capable of providing a better life to the minor child (Kellam 30).
Fathers are capable of becoming the best primary caretakers because they hold the best interests of the child. Fathers are also capable of playing parenting roles just like the mother does, and this qualifies them to be given higher custodial standards. Financial capabilities play a critical part in a child’s upbringing, and there is no doubt that fathers can prove their financial capabilities to enable them gain custody of the child. Finally yet important, fathers are very cooperative during visits from other parents and given them custody would not deter vi...