If you are approaching the divorce process as a parent, you probably have many questions and concerns with respect to child custody. The outcome of your custody case could have a major impact on your relationship with your child, as well as their best interests. It is very important to review your options thoroughly and do everything in your power to pursue a favorable end result.
In addition to reviewing your individual circumstances closely, it is also a good idea for you to go over statistics on child custody.
Custodial fathers and other child custody statistics
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in recent years, courts have decided to award custody to more fathers. During 2018, fathers accounted for 20.1% of all custodial parents, up from 16% during 1994. Whether you feel hopeless about your ability to win a custody battle as a father or you are a mother concerned about losing a custody dispute, it is important to recognize this trend.
The Census Bureau also points out that roughly 21.9 million children in the U.S. had a parent living in another household during 2018. To look at this data in another way, more than one out of four children under the age of 21 in the U.S. had a parent who did not live with them in 2018.
Preparing for a child custody case
Before going to court, you need to carefully analyze your child’s needs, various factors related to the case and potential outcomes, such as sole custody or joint custody. Make sure you put your best foot forward and stay focused, especially since custody cases often generate negative emotions, stress and anxiety.