Can a Stay-at-home Parent Get Child Custody?

When couples divorce, one vital topic of discussion is who gets primary custody of the children. For stay-at-home parents, the concern may be more. They may worry that since they don’t bring any income to the home, a judge won’t take them seriously.

There’s also the fear of financially supporting the kids, especially if the parent hasn’t worked in years and developed their career. While it’s normal to have these worries, working with experienced child custody lawyers in West Chester PA, can ease the concern.

If you’re the stay-at-home parent, the court will not automatically rule you out from gaining custody. Finances alone don’t determine a judge’s decision. While you may not have brought home an income, you provided care for your children, which is a vital household contribution.

Additionally, whether the stay-at-home parent is the mother or the father is irrelevant. Nowadays, courts don’t favor mothers over fathers.

The Court’s Viewpoint

In Pennsylvania, like most states, the court considers the child’s best interest before granting custody. Certain factors help determine this best interest standard, and they all have equal weight during the evaluation. Let’s consider some of them.

  • The parental duties each party performs for the child
  • Which parent is more likely to provide a loving, stable, consistent, and nurturing relationship for the child?
  • Which parent will attend to the daily emotional, physical, educational, developmental and unique needs?
  • Who’s more likely to encourage frequent contact with the other parent
  • The requirement of stability and continuity throughout the child’s education, family life, and extracurricular activities.
  • The child’s preference
  • Each parent’s ability to care for the child or to make appropriate child care arrangements.

Factors That May Favor Stay-at-home Parents

The truth is that the stay-at-home parent is the primary caregiver as they provide most of the parental care. The court views the primary caregiver as the person who knows the child more and can ensure what’s best.

Most times, the parent who stays home is the one who takes the child for doctor’s appointments and attends parent-teacher conferences. This factor is an advantage. Awarding custody to the stay-at-home parent also eases the child’s transition into the family’s new state. It ensures that there’s no disruption in the child’s life since that parent has always been with the child.

Challenges a Stay-at-home Parent May Face in Court

If you’re the non-working parent, don’t rely on assumptions that you’ll get custody. Reach out to custody lawyers in West Chester, PA, before you begin divorce proceedings. Why? The law expects both parents to provide financial support to the child, irrespective of who gets custody. In other words, you can’t rely on alimony or child support payments from the other parent. You may need to show the court that you have the skills to earn an income to support yourself and your child.

If you’re a stay-at-home dad, you may face an additional challenge. Some judges are still biased towards favoring mothers in a custody case. However, a local custody lawyer will understand each judge’s preference and can stand in your defense.

Conclusion

The best way to obtain a favorable outcome in your custody lawsuit is to first consult custody lawyers in West Chester, PA. Secondly, ensure you keep providing excellent care for your children and promote their relationship with the other parent. Lastly, it may help your case if you can find a means of income to show that you can contribute financially.