Walking away from your home is never an easy decision. You are not only leaving your wife but in some cases, also your children. Even though you and your wife are separating, this does not mean you do not want to see and spend time with your children. But, the situation being what it is, visiting your old home or even trying to make arrangements with your spouse can prove to be a challenge.
The one thing you do need to realize is that unless there has been proof of abuse or some proof that you are not a fit parent, there is nothing keeping you from seeing your children during a divorce. If your spouse refuses to let you see your children, she is violating a father’s rights to be with his kids. She may despise your very existence, but she cannot keep you from those children.
If the divorce is bitter, which many of them are, you may be best served to let your divorce lawyer settle this issue. He or she can contact your spouse’s attorney and work out an official visitation schedule. Then, if your wife does not allow you to see the kids at the appointed times, she is the one hurting her case during the divorce proceedings.
Know this, father’s can win custody in divorce settlements today and it is happening more than ever. If your plan is to try to win full custody of the children, you need to make sure you are spending a lot of quality time with the kids during the entire divorce process. This would also be the time to make any work schedule adjustments that may be deemed necessary for you to win sole custody.
Forget about trying to “poison” the kids against their mother too. This serves no purpose and could backfire on you. Your main goal should just be to enjoy every moment you have with them as well as helping them out with their schoolwork and in general, just being a good parent. This will weigh heavily with the court, especially if the children are old enough to have a voice in which parent they are going to live with once the divorce is finalized.
With these rights also comes a lot of responsibility. You must continue to support your children financially. Make sure all payments to the mother are documented so you have proof of support when the divorce proceedings begin. Your divorce attorney can advise you on the best ways to protect your custody case as well as your father’s rights during divorce.
