With more and more moms acting as breadwinners, the stay-at-home dad lifestyle is far from taboo. Still, it remains uncommon in Minnesota and throughout the United States. This can — but shouldn’t have to — complicate the divorce process. Read on for valuable insights into divorce among stay-at-home dads:
Custody Considerations
Minnesota courts take several factors into account when determining child custody. Ultimately, courts seek arrangements presumed in the child’s best interest. Your role as stay-at-home dad may play into this decision, depending on your bond with the children and believed ability to maintain a stable lifestyle after divorce. Specifically, the Minnesota Statutes’ section of child custody mentions “the history and nature of each parent’s participation in providing care for the child” as a factor to be considered in determining custody.
Determining Child Support
As with divorces involving stay-at-home moms, the goal of child support in families with stay-at-home dads should be to maintain a stable and comfortable lifestyle for the custodial parent and his children. In Minnesota, child support provisions are drafted in a gender-neutral manner; there is no presumption that custodial mothers will receive greater child support or alimony awards than custodial fathers. Rather, child support is determined purely based on income, parenting time, and the number of children.
Personal Matters
There’s more to divorce than legal logistics. Divorce can be uniquely devastating for stay-at-home dads due to the societal assumption that fathers will act as breadwinners. Suddenly, without validation from a working spouse, fathers may feel less sure about their decision to serve as primary caretaker. Divorced father John Major tells the New York Times that his split “felt like being fired.” For this reason, many fathers choose to share parenting time and return to full-time work after divorce.
No matter your family’s previous work and child care arrangements, you deserve personalized legal support from an attorney who cares. You’ll find exactly that when you work with the law firm of Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd. Call (763) 783-5146 today to learn more.