What Happens During the Adoption Process if You're Left Out of the Paternity?

So here's a scenario for you--say you had a fling with a married woman.  You found out she was pregnant, she says you need to break up.  Down the road, you find out that she had the baby, and her and her husband signed the papers to allow the child to be adopted.  You have an inkling that the child was yours--what do you do now?

One Ohio father did what any biological father would want to do--he filed with the courts to establish paternity of the child, and then fought for his son back from the adoptive parents--three years after the baby boy was born.

The biological mother claimed her husband as the father--however, due to divorce, her and her husband signed over papers to allow the baby boy to be adopted--all of this was done without the true father's consent, and even though it is years later, he has the right to take his child back.

Read this man's story on ParentDish--and decide for yourself--when adoption agencies collect and gather information about the parents of the baby, should they do a paternity test as well to establish them as the true parents to avoid situations such as this one?

Trend of 50/50 Custody is Growing

Holly Davis, a family lawyer in Austin, Texas, has released information that shows that 50/50 joint physical custody is becoming a more popular trend in America today.

"You're definitely seeing more 50/50 custody situations, and I think that's attributed in large part to changing gender roles," says Davis.  "More women are pursuing careers, and more men are choosing to focus on their children."

This is a great thing to hear; however, it does not mean that 50/50 physical custody arrangements are a good fit for every family.  Some circumstances may make it difficult or impossible, such as location of the parents, the communicative abilities of both parents, and the willingness for each parent to be a positive influence on the children instead of causing arguments and negative energy whenever the kids are dropped off or picked up by the other parent.  Just like there is no cookie-cutter divorce, there will never be a cookie-cutter custody arrangement that works for every family.

Read more about Holly Davis' findings on PRWeb.com!

Joel Leyden Speaks Out

YouTube is a wonderful place for dads all around the world to speak their mind about the pain and suffering they are dealing with when it comes to being separated from their children.

I have no words for this.  Joel Leyden from Isreal pours his heart out in this YouTube video.

UK Dads Dress as Superheroes to Combat the Child Support Agency

Stourbridgenews.co.uk

Costumes aren't just for Halloween--they're for superheroes, too--superheroes like fathers!

A number of dads from the "New Fathers 4 Justice" group stood outside the Child Support Agency in Waterfront dressed as Superman, Batman, and even the pope to help make a point--fathers deserve better rights to their children, and the chance to be dads.  

Read more about the demonstration at Stourbridge News!

The Growing Trend of Stay-at-Home Dads

Who says its all up to the woman to cook, clean, and care for the kids?  These days, the growing trend of stay-at-home daddies is continuing to rise, despite the economy.

There are many reasons why stay-at-home dads are on the rise.  In this story posted by Conducive Chronicle, one particular stay-at-home dad in this article was faced with a layoff due to the company he worked for going bankrupt.  His partner was climbing the corporate ladder, but was being held back with the stress of raising children and caring for the home.  They easily switched roles and haven't been happier!

Another situation describes a father who took paternity leave, and ended up never going back to work.  As he stated, "I had the better temperament and my wife had a much better job."

This reversal in gender roles is embraced by many, but questioned by some.  Aren't mothers the "nurturers?"  The men are supposed to be "hunter/gatherers" while the women are supposed to "prepare the food and care for the children."  ...right?  Wrong.  This modern society brings about a whole new group of stay-at-home parents, and you never know when you could be the next Mr. Mom!

Read more about the growing trend of stay-at-home dads at Conducive Chronicle.

Father Gets Rights by Judge to Baptize his Child in the Catholic Church

A huge step in courtroom rulings happened last week—a judge ruled that a father from Illinois could have his child baptized within the Catholic church, which was the religion that he was raised with. This happened after an extended court battle with his ex-wife during their divorce case. This is an amazing step for courts, and now this brings up the question of how much a judge can intervene when it comes to the religious upbringing of children of divorce.


Read more about this story at PRNewsWire.com regarding this successful breakthrough in the courts for fathers’ rights!

Chicago-based Father Fights for Custody from Non-Related Couple

Earlzell Orr, the father of an 11-year-old boy in Chicago, Illinois, is headed to court today to fight for custody from a non-related couple that gained temporary, emergency custody after the death of his mother. 

Orr is fighting to get custody of his son since the court has not yet granted temporary or permanent possession of the child, but yet they have access to the mother's bank accounts which is where the child support payments have been deposited.  One of the adults given emergency custody is also a convicted felon, and attorneys specializing in fathers' rights are petitioning for custody on behalf of Orr.

Our thoughts are with Orr as he fights for what he rightfully deserves--his son!

For more information regarding this court date, see the full press release here.