In Tennessee, fathers have specific rights when it comes to their children, whether it’s about custody, visitation, or child support. Understanding these rights is important for any father who wants to be involved in his child’s life. Let’s break down what these laws entail and how they can impact a father’s relationship with his children.
Parental rights and paternity
For a father to assert his rights, he must first establish paternity. If the parents are married, the law recognizes the husband as the father. However, if the parents are unmarried, the father must either sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity or go through a legal process to establish paternity through a court order or DNA test.
Once paternity is established, fathers gain the right to seek custody and visitation. This step matters because without paternity, a father’s rights will not get recognized.
Custody and visitation
When parents separate or divorce, the courts decide custody and visitation based on the child’s best interest. Fathers have equal standing with mothers in custody cases, and the law does not favor one parent over the other. The court considers factors like the child’s emotional needs, the parents’ ability to provide for the child, and the child’s relationship with each parent.
Fathers can petition for primary custody, joint custody, or visitation. Joint custody allows both parents to share physical and legal custody, while primary custody means the child lives mainly with one parent, but the other may have visitation rights.
Child support obligations
Fathers must also pay child support if they do not have primary custody. The state has guidelines that determine the amount based on both parents’ income, and it ensures that the non-custodial parent contributes to the child’s upbringing. Even if a father has visitation rights, he must still support his child financially.
Protecting father’s rights
Fathers must be proactive in asserting their parental rights, especially when it comes to custody and visitation. If a father feels his rights are being denied or challenged, he has legal avenues to address the issue, including going to court to modify existing orders or seek enforcement.
Parental rights laws ensure that fathers can remain actively involved in their children’s lives. Tennessee’s laws give fathers the opportunity to be an integral part of their child’s upbringing.
