In a divorce are mothers always awarded custody of the children?

Fathers often believe that they are at a disadvantage when a divorce court awards custody of children, but parents start off on equal terms.

The divorce court will do everything it can to make a decision in the child's best interests, which means taking all of the circumstances into account.




The divorce court does often find that a baby or a very young child will be more suitably cared for by its mother, but this isn't always true. Many fathers are equally capable of caring for their children from babyhood and some mothers do not provide the best care. Each case will be decided after investigating all the circumstances including the feelings of the child, if he or she is old enough to understand what is going on.

As children grow older, the tilt of the scales in the mother's favour becomes less significant. Another factor which will be taken into account, if it is the case, is that the mother may be available on a full-time basis to care for the children whilst the father has a full-time job. Again, each case depends on its facts. The important thing will always be to discover what will be in the best interests of the child.