Having a child is the ultimate connection between two people but sometimes families fall apart.
Parenting on Female First
Today, it’s not uncommon to see couples go their separate ways after the birth of their child or children. But if both parties are considered fit parents, the family courts will often encourage co-parenting as being in the best interests of the child.
However, despite the bond between a father and children usually being strong, it’s still not enough to stop some dads from seeing them less than once a month or not at all (27%) compared to just 8% of mums.
On average, for parents who have contact with their children, separated dads see their kids for just 4 days and 4 nights a month compared to almost double for mums (7 days and 7 nights). Overall just under a fifth of dads (19%) see them less than once a month and almost one in 10 (9%) have no contact at all.
The shocking statistics come from new research by family law specialists Slater and Gordon, revealing that despite the perceived rise in co-parenting, just 42% of divorced or separated couples share childcare equally. Furthermore, 45% of mums say their exes visits have tailed off over time, on average after just over a year.
Mums said the main reasons for fathers seeing less of their child/children were losing interest (47%), starting a new relationship (40%) and being too busy (23%). It’s led to more than 1 in 4 (27%) of mums seeking legal help after being let down by their ex.
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