Quote:
Originally Posted by Regorium
It's absolute fact that dads get destroyed by the courts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/ma...agewanted=1&hp
Now, I'm not saying that there aren't dead beat dads out there. However, this article strikes true because this is the legal system that is handing out these rulings. This isn't just a case of some dude not owning up to someone he knocked up.
You can argue case by case to see who got screwed and who got the better end of the deal, but an article like that shows that all else equal, the courts will side with the woman every time. |
I'm not sure how that article backs up your first statement. It has to do with dads who unwittingly parent children that they are genetically not related to and how the use of DNA testing has started to be accepted by the courts to terminate those parental obligations.
I can't begin to imagine how I would feel if I found out that either of my kids were fathered by someone else. I'm not sure I would be able to just get up and walk away from the relationship I've had with them for their entire lives and seek a court order terminating all of my parental responsibilities. On the other hand, the idea of having limited access to them while their biological father may or may not have anything to do with them and may or may not be contributing financially is difficult as well.
I do not have a great deal of experience in this area of law in Canada and I have even less to say about American law but I do know that of paramount concern in Canada is the "best interests of the child". The article does not do a good job of considering these issues from the point of view of the child. There needs to be some reconciliation between the rights and obligations of the parents on one hand and the rights of the children on the other. In any case where the children are otherwise going to come up short, I have no problem with the courts finding against the parents.