Divorce From the Dad's Perspective | Lawyers for Men

At HALE BALL MURPHY, PLC in northern Virginia, one of the most important pieces of advice we have for fathers going into a divorce is this: Do not be deterred by perceived prejudices that Virginia courts have against fathers. They are not as real as you may think.

The “tender years” doctrine, which refers to a presumption in favor of one parent over the other based on gender, is a thing of the past. Mothers do not always win in court. Fathers do not always end up pulling out their wallets and turning them upside down. With the representation of one of our lawyers, your rights as a father will be protected. We encourage you to act now instead of simply taking a defensive posture and waiting for the mother to act first. That hesitation can work against you much more than any fictional bias in Virginia courts.

How Fathers Should Approach a Divorce

In many cases, we see fathers take a defensive posture. They wait for their spouses to make the first move and file the complaint for divorce. While this does not necessarily give the mother the upper hand, it is indicative that the mother is working with a lawyer to learn about the issues and design a strategy to achieve her goals. If the father simply waits, assuming that the court will ultimately find in favor of the mother with regard not only to child custody and visitation, but in terms of property division and other matters, he is losing time and ground and, in a sense, giving his wife the opportunity to gain the upper hand.

We encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. We will immediately begin guiding you through the necessary steps, protecting your accounts and educating you about important issues like guideline child support packages. Our attorneys will create a legal strategy designed not to overcome prejudices that no longer exist in Virginia courts, but to overcome the real and tangible challenges that come with any men’s divorce case. The attorneys at HALE BALL MURPHY, PLC can assist with any needed changes that come with divorce (like name change). Contact our team today for legal aid.