Divorce is an issue that continues to tear many Montgomery families apart. While some divorces end on a positive note, many are contentious, especially when children are involved. For fathers going through divorce, gaining physical custody of the children can often be the number one goal. Once child custody is granted, it is important to abide by the rules in order to maintain custody. One Tennessee man recently lost his custody after he failed to visit his children.
After taking his case to the Tennessee Supreme Court, a father of three lost his father’s rights after failing to visit his children. The mother and stepfather of the children wanted the man to have his parental rights terminated on the grounds of abandonment. The man defended himself saying that he was not able to visit the kids due to the court’s order suspending violation. Ultimately the Supreme Court disagreed and ruled that the father failed to willfully visit his children within the last three years and terminated his parental rights.
Loosing custody of one’s children can be devastating. When determining father’s rights in most cases, the courts will hand down a ruling based on what is best for the children as required by the state’s statue. With child custody, the courts will look at which parent best suits the children’s needs. Every noncustodial father is eligible for visitations rights but when the father fails to make these visitations, he puts himself at risk of losing parental rights.
If any local Montgomery individuals are concerned about their father’s rights, they should enlist legal help from an attorney. Children are often the most important part of many individuals’ lives and an attorney may be able to prevent a child-father relationship from being torn apart.
Source: The Chattanoogan.com, “Tennessee Supreme Court Upholds Termination Of Father’s Parental Rights For Failure To Visit Children,” March 13, 2013
