Father’s Rights Lawyers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf is a father’s rights law firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that provides legal counsel to men who are navigating the family court system. While the law is gender-neutral when it comes to matters of child custody and visitation, men can face unique challenges when it comes to family law issues. For example, fathers may need to establish paternity in order to secure visitation rights, or child custody. Because fathers sometimes face unique challenges when navigating the family law system, Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf are father’s rights lawyers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who work closely with fathers, helping them seek custody or visitation in cases of divorce or separation. Our firm also assists fathers with establishing paternity.
While Louisiana law doesn’t place preference on any gender when it comes to determining child custody and visitation, it can still be helpful to have a father’s rights law firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on your side if you are going through a divorce. A father’s rights attorney, like the lawyers at Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf, can take a close look at your family’s situation, your goals, and your children’s needs, and assist you with creating a parenting plan that will be in the best interests of your children.
How a Father’s Rights Law Firm Can Help You With Child Custody
When it comes to determining child custody, Louisiana courts will consider various factors to determine what is in the best interests of the children. These factors don’t take the parent’s gender into account. In general, it is often best to work out child custody and visitation decisions outside of court, with the assistance of your father’s rights attorney, like the lawyers at Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf. Ultimately, the lawyers at Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf are father’s rights attorneys who can review your goals for child custody and visitation, help you understand what your rights and options might be, and assist you with negotiating a parenting plan that works for you and serves the best interests of your children. Balancing your goals with the needs of your children and the competing desires of your former partner can be challenging, but it is possible to find solutions that work for all. The best case scenarios are those where parents can resolve their child custody matters outside of court with the assistance of their attorneys. When cases are brought before a judge, both parties might find that the decision the judge makes is one that neither partner wants. Child custody decisions are based on the best interests of the child standards. These standards are open to interpretation, so it can be tough to predict exactly what a judge might do when hearing a child custody case. What are the best interests of the child standards?
- The court will look at the relationship the child has with each parent. Is the child closer to one parent than the other?
- The ability of each parent to provide emotionally, physically, and financially for the children will be considered.
- Each parent’s stability will also be considered.
- Each parent’s living situation will also be taken into account. Will living with one parent allow the children to continue going to the same schools? Or will living with one parent prove more disruptive?
- Each parent’s physical and mental health will be considered.
- Other factors, like history of abuse, like physical or verbal violence, will also be considered. And each parent’s history of alcohol or drug abuse will also be taken into account.
These are just some factors a judge might evaluate when determining child custody in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If children are old enough, for example, their wishes or desires may also be considered. If you are a father seeking sole custody of your children, seeking shared custody, or seeking a better visitation arrangement, Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf are father’s rights attorneys in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who may be able to assist you with negotiating a parenting plan that works for you and your family.
Establishing Paternity in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
If you need to establish paternity in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf are father’s rights attorneys who may be able to assist you. If you are married to the mother of your child, paternity is automatically established when the child is born. However, if the father and mother are not married when a child is born, paternity may need to be established by other means. Or, if the mother is married, but another man is the father of the child, this can also complicate matters. The father can sign an affidavit acknowledging paternity when the child is born. However, this form should only be signed if both parties are sure who the father of the child is. If both parties agree about who the father is, then both parties can sign the affidavit voluntarily. However, if the identity of the father is in doubt, then DNA testing may be required, or one or both parties may need to bring a lawsuit forward to establish paternity. Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf are father’s rights attorneys who can assist you if you need help navigating the court system in order to establish paternity, or if you need to fight a paternity case where you do not believe you are the father of the child. Under the law, a child has the right to receive support and guidance from both parents. Establishing paternity makes this possible.