Who gets custody if parents are unmarried?

On Behalf of | Feb 23, 2020 | Child Custody |

Across the country, including Mississippi, more people are opting out of traditional marriage. More couples prefer a more informal parenting. While this has its own set of benefits, there are also some drawbacks. Among those drawbacks are handling custody situations without a divorce. Today, we will look at how unmarried couples deal with custody matters. 

First, unmarried couples do not face other concerns that often go with divorce. They do not have to divide their property. They do not have to pay spousal support. Because of that, they only need to focus on matters of child custody and support. Of course, if couples cannot figure out how they wish to handle these matters, they still need to go to a family court. They will decide the matter for them. 

The court will be attempting to discern who the “primary caregiver” is. This is the person who holds the most responsibility for the child. They often spend the most time with the child. They also often devote a lot of their lives to raising the child. Though they are not always the primary financial support, this sometimes happens, too. 

An unwed father often has trouble gaining full custody. They are not seen as the primary caregiver by default. They can work out visitation and custody arrangements, though. 

Matters of child custody are difficult to determine no matter what your situation is. If you wish to read more, take a look at our web page here. You can look into different child custody options. You can also examine how to handle custody depending on your unique situation.