Will a judge grant joint custody if the father can’t keep a job?
If you're wondering whether a judge will grant joint custody if your dad can't keep a job, the answer is yes. And it's not just because judges are sympathetic to single parents on a low income.
Judges are also looking for ways to help parents stay in touch with each other and maintain their relationship, which is why they will award joint custody if it's in the best interest of the child. In fact, one study found that when it comes to children's well-being, joint custody is more beneficial than sole custody—and even more so than when both parents have full-time jobs.
If the father can’t keep a job, then he has no choice but to find another one. He would have to be out of work for at least six months before he could even be considered for joint custody, and even then, it would be up to the judge whether or not he could get full custody of the children.
The only way that the father could avoid being denied joint custody was if he had been able to find employment and stay employed for at least 6 months with no major layoffs or firings.
In some cases, the answer is yes. In other cases, it depends on the state where you live and a good lawyer.
If your dad can't keep a job, there are two ways to determine whether or not you'll get joint custody: If there is any evidence that he's not capable of working, or if he's shown by his own actions that he can't provide for himself and/or his children.
If you have evidence that your father can't support himself and/or his children, then it's possible that a judge will grant joint custody based on this evidence alone. For example, if you have proof that he gets drunk every night and takes money from his paycheck to buy drugs instead—and then passes out in front of the TV while watching football—then a judge might decide that he's not capable of taking care of himself and/or his children properly.
In this case, they might decide to award joint custody because it would be unfair for one parent to be responsible for both parent-child relationships without some form of assistance from the other party.
If you have any questions, you can get a free consultation with Ascent Law LLC:
Ascent Law LLC:
8833 South Redwood RoadSuite C
West Jordan, UT 84088
(801) 676-5506
