Father’s Rights After Separation

We represent a lot of fathers who are seeking family law information about their children and fathers rights after separation in Australia. Many fathers come to us with depression, anxiety and high levels of stress because they believe that they will not be able to spend time with or see their children.
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Updated 2023 – the complete guide to everything you need to know about Father’s Rights after separation in Australia

 

It is now 2023 and there still remains a preconception that the courts will always award mum primary custody and dad will get the children on the weekends.

This is simply not true as each case is unique and requires careful consideration, nonetheless, if it can be argued that it is in the best interests of the child to stay with the father and not the mother, then the court may make a decision in favour of the father.

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The average father is now very different to what they were 20 years ago.

What Are My Rights As A Father After Separation in Australia?

Father’s rights in Australia is a broad field

When determining child custody rights, the golden principle that the courts look at is 60CA of the Family Law Act 1975.

The section says that when determining parenting orders in relation to a child, the Court must regard the best interests of the child as the paramount consideration.

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Fathers rights to see his child FAQ

How often do fathers get 50 50 custody?

Fathers get 50 50 custody in Australia more regularly than you think.

According to the Australian institute of family studies, only 3% of court-ordered parenting agreements involve no contact between children and their father, compared with 9% of the general separated population.

The study showed that 21% of parents had shared custody of their children.

How often should a father see his child?

Researchers found that children of divorced parents benefited from spending time, including sleeping over, at both parent’s homes.

The recent study also showed that when the children became adults, the ones who had the best relationships with their parents were the ones who spent equal time at both their mother’s home and their father’s home from a young age.

The study was published in the journal: Psychology, Public Policy and Law and is called 25 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy (and Healthy) Kids.

Fathers should be spending regular time with their children, which should increase as the children get older.

What access rights do fathers have?

Fathers have the same rights as mothers when it comes to accessing children. It is important to distinguish who is making decisions for the children and that the primary care of the child is consulted when one parent is seeking access to their child.

 

How can a father win custody of his child?

A father can gain custody of his child in one of two ways.

  1.  If the parents are able to come to an agreement that is going to occur with the children then a father may document this in a set of consent orders or a parenting arrangement.
  2.  If the parents are not able to come to an agreement then the matter will go to court and a judge will determine how much time each parent will spend with the child. A father will then need to show that it is in the best interests of the child for the child to spend time with him.
  3. Keep in mind that less than 3% of matters end up in court, meaning that there is a good chance it will not be you!

At what age can a father get 50 50 custody?

There is no set age for when a father will be able to obtain a 50 50 arrangement with his child.

Most judges will not consider a 50 50 arrangement until the child is at least 4 or 5 years old.

This is because most judges believe that a child should spend more time with the child’s primary carer when the child is between 0 to 5 years of age.

However, there are cases where a 50 50 arrangement may work for some children aged 1 – 4 years.

The basic rule in Australia is that it is the child’s right to have access to both moms and dads.

There’s a rule of equal and shared parental responsibility that both the mother and father share unless there is an order determining otherwise. this means that both parents are responsible for the major decisions in relation to the child.

Both the mum as well as the dad have a right to care for the welfare of their offspring as well as being accountable for their upbringing by supplying them with food, shelter, and clothes.

Is there a bias against fathers in family court?

There are many people that believe that there is a bias against fathers in the family court. Sometimes this results in fathers giving up or conceding before they even try and fight for more time with their children.

Due to social dynamics, it is extremely common for the mother to be considered the primary carer of the children, as the mother normally takes time off of work to look after children.

Sometimes, it could be the case that a father is considered as the primary carer of a child.

There is no bias against fathers as a gender – however, there is a preference for a court to try and appease and side with the primary carer of a child.

What are the custody issues for fathers

Fathers frequently face a number of custody issues when they want more time with their children.

Sometimes a mother will want to establish that a father is a risk to the children, and that therefore time should be withheld between the father and the child.

This is often something that we deal with at our firm, and we have a high success rate of establishing that fathers are not a risk to their own children.

Allegations can make fathers feel like they do not deserve to spend time with their children, despite the fact that they are loving fathers who only want to have a steady relationship with their kids.

Custody of Children

Custody of children means the arrangements that are in place for the children to spend time with the mother and father. Justice Family Lawyers can help you seek an increase to the custody of children to ensure you are spending substantial time with your child.

Results we have obtained for our fathers

Some of the results we have achieved for our fathers

  • Child custody disputes
    • We act on cases where fathers are seeking an increase of time with their children. We constantly face and overcome issues such as gatekeeping, gaslighting, abuse of process, false police reports, and violence orders.
  • Primary custody of the child
    • We have had cases where the father has maintained his position as the primary carer of the children, even when the mother was trying to falsely establish that she was the primary carer.
    • We have run cases where the primary carer was changed from the mother to the father, as the mother was found to have been abusing drugs and alcohol.
  • Obtain visitation when they have been denied visitation by the child’s mother
    • We have obtained over night time for dads who have been denied visitation by mothers who have alleged that the dad is abusing drugs and alcohol.
    • Dads that have been accused of being violent or having mental health issues, we have achieved results obtaining overnight time with their children.
  • Prevent the relocation of a child
    • We have prevented children from being relocated to other suburbs and overseas.
    • We act in cases where we have been required to obtain recovery orders from the court to locate the child and to bring the child back to the father
  • Assist with the relocation of a child
    • We assisted a dad who wanted to relocate from NSW to Queensland with his children.
  • Weekend visitations and sleepovers
    • We have gotten dads overnight time with their kids, despite being denied this from the children’s mother.
  • Help with making major long-term decisions for the child
    • We have assisted dads obtain a say in relation to children’s education, schools they attend, and religions that they observe.

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Mother withholding Child from Father in Australia

If you’re in the scenario where you have mother withholding child from father in Australia, you’re probably stressed and worried about what to do.

You don’t have any parenting orders yet, and you want to stay out of court – however, she just won’t let you see the children.

Fathers have rights to see their children in Australia, and a mother needs to show that a father is an unacceptable risk to the child in order to withhold a child from a father in Australia.

Taking a child away from the father is not acceptable and can be considered illegal.

It is important to remember that the presumption of parental rights in Australia is that both parents are equal.

Always remain calm and remember to seek proper advice about your situation.

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Learn what steps you can take next

Can a mother deny a father access in Australia

One of the most common questions that we get asked everyday is “Can a mother deny a father access in Australia?”

A mother cannot deny a father access to their children in Australia.

There is a presumption of equal and shared parental responsibility.

Only an order from a local court or the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia would be able to stop a father from accessing their children in Australia.

If you remain in the circumstance where a mother is withholding a child from a father in Australia, below are some non-legal actions you can use to settle the standoff:

  1. Go to counseling together
  2. Go to a mediator together who specialises in parental conflict and child custody arrangements
  3. See a psychologist to resolve any type of psychological concerns that could be contributing to the withholding of the child
  4. Speak to a lawyer about resolving this matter outside of court, by way of negotiating an agreement or by a collaborative law method.

It is usually best to try to settle parenting differences outside of court, as is it less expensive, and often more effective.

As a final resort to the question of “Can a mother deny a father access in Australia” – If a mother continues to withhold a child from the father and deny a father access, you should file an initiating application in the family court.

A judge will then choose what is the best arrangement for the child.

If a mother has taken a child away from the father without an adequate reason, the court may order the child to live with the father.

Reviews

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Judith WhiteJudith White
21:45 30 Sep 22
I'm so glad I chose Justice Family Lawyers to handle my property settlement... case. Right from the start Hayder gave me excellent advice on my prospects and then, over some two years, Harpreet helped me navigate my way through to a final hearing (still have to wait 3-6 months for the judgement). Harpreet's warm and professional approach was a perfect balance of great communication and guidance along with strength, tenacity and excellent application of the law. It was a long haul but the support I received from this tight-knit team gave me the courage to see it through to the end. A special thanks to Jasmin and Helen for all the work behind the scenes! I highly recommend JFL to anyone who needs honest, caring and expert advice on their family law matter.read more
James FitzsimmonsJames Fitzsimmons
03:48 10 Aug 22
I spoke with a family law solicitor at Justice Lawyers. I booked for an hour,... and the solicitor and i had a great dialogue. Harpeet, one of the lawyers was keen and honest and thoughtful. His information was thorough and i was greatly informed about how i should proceed with my case. Well worth the fee i paid for his services. I never felt i was rushed for time.read more
Marianna BalintMarianna Balint
03:59 24 Jun 22
We had a Google meeting with Harpreet on Wednesday, he is an absolute jewel in... every way. The very best lawyer we have ever worked with. He is insightful knowledgable and very rational. We have learned from him a lot during those 2 hours and no matter what the outcome will be, we know that with him we will get the maximum positive outcome that we could possibly get. He knows the system well and works well within that framework, he is honest, he genuinely cares about the client, he is not an aggressive, ruthless lawyer, which is very important for us. We believe that those who try to destroy us with lies will be destroyed by truth. Thank you Justice Lawyers for allowing us to have Harpreet to support my son.Mariannaread more
FaizFaiz
03:12 03 Jun 22
Absolutely amazing lawyers, professional, knowledgeable, prompt and accurate... responses. Justice family lawyers are by far the best lawyers I have come across. Would highly recommend Hayder, his team and especially Carlos, without his support and persistence, it would have not been possible.read more
Deni MurrayDeni Murray
09:45 02 Jun 22
I engaged Julianne from Justice Family Lawyers and I am beyond pleased with her... effort and skill. From start to finish the service, I received was second to none. I needed to have an AVO amended, knowing this would be a difficult process, I was apprehensive and nervous. However with Julianne, my nerves were put at ease. Not only did I get a great outcome, the outcome was better than expected due to her amazing abilities as a solicitor. Thank you again, I highly recommend using Justice Family Lawyers for all your family and criminal court needs.read more
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What to do if parenting orders are breached – child custody rights for fathers

If parenting orders have been established and they are breached; e.g. the mother withholding the child from the father in Australia, you file a contravention application.

A contravention application is a way to protect child custody rights for fathers.

This application is sent to the court, alerting them of the breach of parenting orders. You should maintain comprehensive notes of all occasions when the parenting orders have been breached (consisting of time, day, and place), as this can be used as proof in court.

Does a father have the right to know where his child lives?

Even though if a father is a non-custodial parent, a father has the right to know where his child lives. He also has the right to know about the child’s school and documents such as medical and school records.

Australian law emphasizes that a child has the right to enjoy a meaningful relationship with both of his/her parents and be protected from harm of any kind.

Therefore, a non-custodial father has the right to know where his child lives and make necessary arrangements based on an understanding with the other parent.

A father’s legal rights to an unborn child in Australia are extremely limited.

For example, a father of an unborn child has no legal standing to prevent a pregnant woman from moving freely.

The Family Court and Federal Circuit Court have no power to make orders in relation to unborn children.

There have cases and precedent set where the Courts will not get involved with a child whilst in the fetal stages,

Once a child is born, however, that child also has rights, and their rights may impact the mother’s rights.

If there is violence and if someone is concerned about the safety wellbeing of the unborn child in Australia, the court can decide whether to provide legal rights to a father to support the mother and the child.

Such rights could be giving time and resources to the pregnant mother and bearing a portion of the cost involved during birth and raising the child, irrespective of contact or custody.

Mother versus Father custody statistics Australia

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the common custody arrangement in Australia is that a child spends at least two-thirds of the nights with a mother.

The statistics also reflects that in general, children live with their mother during the school week and spend weekend times with their father.

Further, the statistics show that around 10% of the child in Australia do not have any contact with one of their parents.

How to get Visitation rights as a father?

Visitation rights allow a father to spend some time with his child.

However, the condition still implies that the child will remain in the mother’s custody.

The best way to get visitation rights as a father is to present a formal written request to the court.

The application should be filed in a court close to where the child is residing.

The petition should clearly mention that the person is the father of the child and he is seeking to get visitation rights.

Shared Parenting

When determining what are the best interests of the child, the court acknowledges that children should have the benefit of both of their parents having a meaningful involvement in their lives, to the maximum extent consistent with the best interests of the child.

This means that if your circumstances permit, you could have a chance of at least 50% time with your child.

The court also prioritises protecting children from physical or psychological harm.

This means protecting children from being subjected to, or exposed to, abuse, neglect or family violence.


It is extremely important that you address any allegations of domestic violence immediately and effectively.

This may mean contesting an Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders or defending yourself in the Local Court because you have been accused of being violent.

The courts also want to ensure that children receive adequate and proper parenting to help them achieve their full potential.

This means that they want to see that parents fulfil their duties and meet their responsibilities concerning the care, welfare, and development of their children.

Parenting arrangments & father’s rights after separation

Case studies help us understand the position of the Family Court.

Cases are an important source of information to help us understand and interpret the position of the Family Court in relation to how they view fathers rights.

Each case or judgment is the solution to the dispute between parties to the case.

Once the judgment is delivered it becomes a precedent that future disputes will be based upon.

Case Studies

Legal help for divorced fathers

Many fathers tell us that they feel disadvantaged in this legal system.

Free legal help for divorced fathers is limited, leading many men to believe that men’s rights after separation are inferior to those of a woman.

There are a multitude of women’s services available, including women’s refuges, free legal clinics providing free legal advice, services providing free accommodation, domestic violence clinics, counselling and other support services.

On the other hand, advice for dads about divorce and about dad’s winning custody of children are limited.

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Custody battle tips for fathers

There is an increasing amount of cases where there are fathers getting sole custody of children in Australia.

These cases should be read and studied so that you are able to understand all of the custody battle tips for fathers.

This proves that a father can get custody of a child if they follow the right steps and obtain good legal advice.