Hi everyone,
I'm new here and I'm seeking answers from any dads who may have gone through this, as I'm having trouble finding information readily available, short of paying for expensive legal advice.
My partner and I separated 5 months ago, and she is expecting our kids (twins) in September.
We are about to enter into family law mediation to work out co-parenting, and she has come back to me with what she wants agreed upon, and has said that I am only allowed to see my kids 2 hours a day on a Saturday and Sunday, 3 weekends a month, and she says that is apparently the standard for separated dad's and spending time with newborns?
I can't work out where she has gotten this information from, and though I agree that the newborns shouldn't be away from their mother, and they will be with her 24-7. But as a father who wants to spend time with his kids, this seems completely unreasonable. I have asked her for more weekend time, and she tells me this is unreasonable, because I am asking for more than the minimum standard of the 2 hours that she has specified.
And what free legal advice I have been given, they have told me that as we are not married, and the children aren't born yet, that I don't really have any rights in that regard.
We are going to mediation, which is a good thing, but I would just like to know, as a father, what legal rights do I have as far as how much time I am allowed to see and spend with my kids?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
I'm new here and I'm seeking answers from any dads who may have gone through this, as I'm having trouble finding information readily available, short of paying for expensive legal advice.
My partner and I separated 5 months ago, and she is expecting our kids (twins) in September.
We are about to enter into family law mediation to work out co-parenting, and she has come back to me with what she wants agreed upon, and has said that I am only allowed to see my kids 2 hours a day on a Saturday and Sunday, 3 weekends a month, and she says that is apparently the standard for separated dad's and spending time with newborns?
I can't work out where she has gotten this information from, and though I agree that the newborns shouldn't be away from their mother, and they will be with her 24-7. But as a father who wants to spend time with his kids, this seems completely unreasonable. I have asked her for more weekend time, and she tells me this is unreasonable, because I am asking for more than the minimum standard of the 2 hours that she has specified.
And what free legal advice I have been given, they have told me that as we are not married, and the children aren't born yet, that I don't really have any rights in that regard.
We are going to mediation, which is a good thing, but I would just like to know, as a father, what legal rights do I have as far as how much time I am allowed to see and spend with my kids?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.