- Separated dads fight long odds
- By Susie O'Brien
- Herald Sun
- 18/02/2005 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: admin ( 47 articles in 2005 )
NEARLY half of all separating fathers think they have no say in the custody of their children, a new study has found.
Bruce Hawthorne, of the Family Court of Australia, surveyed 260 men who don't live with their children across Australia and conducted interviews with 50 men about fathering after separation.
He found many were facing severe emotional difficulties because of lack of day-to-day contact with their children, and fear they will become irrelevant as fathers.
Concerns that conflict between parents is damaging to children has meant many fathers are relegated to the fringe of children's lives, Mr Hawthorne said.
His study found:
SOME fathers who do not live with their children suffered breakdowns and even contemplated suicide, particularly when contact with their children broke down.
FATHERS who do not live with their children have the lowest well-being of separated parents because they mourn the loss of their children.
FATHERS did not pursue shared or sole residence because they did not think they would succeed in court.
SCHOOLS largely ignore non-resident parents.
SOME fathers withdraw from contact with their children in order to avoid tension with the mothers.
"Anticipated loss of their daily contact with their children following separation may well explain why many fathers are more prepared than mothers to stay in conflictual or unsatisfying relationships," Mr Hawthorne said.
"Few non-resident fathers have much scope to determine the level and type of their involvement with children."
The study found nearly half of fathers think the decision about who the children live with is solely decided by the mother without consultation.
More than half are very dissatisfied with their input into the decision, and only 30 per cent satisfied. One in three said the mother unilaterally decided the level of contact the father should have with the children.
Mr Hawthorne also found 43 per cent of separating fathers wanted their children to live with their mothers, 42 per cent shared residence and 11 per cent sole custody.
Fathers also criticised the child support system, including their lack of control over how the money is spent on the children and the assessment formula.
Australian Family Association national vice president Bill Muehlenberg said the results confirmed the anecdotal evidence he collected from desperate dads.
Bruce Hawthorne, of the Family Court of Australia, surveyed 260 men who don't live with their children across Australia and conducted interviews with 50 men about fathering after separation.
He found many were facing severe emotional difficulties because of lack of day-to-day contact with their children, and fear they will become irrelevant as fathers.
Concerns that conflict between parents is damaging to children has meant many fathers are relegated to the fringe of children's lives, Mr Hawthorne said.
His study found:
SOME fathers who do not live with their children suffered breakdowns and even contemplated suicide, particularly when contact with their children broke down.
FATHERS who do not live with their children have the lowest well-being of separated parents because they mourn the loss of their children.
FATHERS did not pursue shared or sole residence because they did not think they would succeed in court.
SCHOOLS largely ignore non-resident parents.
SOME fathers withdraw from contact with their children in order to avoid tension with the mothers.
"Anticipated loss of their daily contact with their children following separation may well explain why many fathers are more prepared than mothers to stay in conflictual or unsatisfying relationships," Mr Hawthorne said.
"Few non-resident fathers have much scope to determine the level and type of their involvement with children."
The study found nearly half of fathers think the decision about who the children live with is solely decided by the mother without consultation.
More than half are very dissatisfied with their input into the decision, and only 30 per cent satisfied. One in three said the mother unilaterally decided the level of contact the father should have with the children.
Mr Hawthorne also found 43 per cent of separating fathers wanted their children to live with their mothers, 42 per cent shared residence and 11 per cent sole custody.
Fathers also criticised the child support system, including their lack of control over how the money is spent on the children and the assessment formula.
Australian Family Association national vice president Bill Muehlenberg said the results confirmed the anecdotal evidence he collected from desperate dads.
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