According to Common Law, custody of children from a legal marriage automatically went to the father of the children. Women were considered chattel or property of the husband as were the children of their union. Mothers had no legal rights to her own children even after the death of her husband.
Although this has changed considerably in our modern era, women who marry men from other countries have little rights if they leave the United States. Particularly in the Middle East, men still have the rights to custody of the children. Women there are basically at the mercy of the father of her children. Many women have struggled to leave these areas with their children and have had no assistance from law enforcement.
Although there are many fathers' rights groups who claim that fathers want custody of their children so that they can spend time with them and help them in their growth, there are just as many child advocates who disagree with that claim.
Claims have been made that fathers actually want power and authority over their children's lives and those of the women they were married to previously. These fathers demonstrate that desire for power through their refusal to pay for the support of their families.
It is common knowledge that some fathers regularly hide their assets from their spouses during and after marriage. Lawyers have a hard time proving that these fathers can well afford to pay child support as well as alimony. Unfortunately, many women and their children live at poverty level because of the lack of support from the fathers.
According to Common Law, custody of children from a legal marriage automatically went to the father of the children.
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Roberto Garabell
