More than half of births to U.S. women under 30 are outside of marriage. This cultural shift has many implications for child custody issues. The number of single mothers in the United States has been on the rise for quite some time. In 1970, approximately 2.8 million single mothers had custody of their children. By 1995, this number had nearly tripled.
According to an article this week in The New York Times, this trend has not slowed down. “After steadily rising for five decades, the share of children born to unmarried women has crossed a threshold: More than half of births to U.S. women younger than 30 occur outside marriage.”
This trend among families can be explained by a combination of several cultural and societal factors including financial independence among women, the loss of the stigma of single motherhood, and the fallout from a high divorce rate among the parents of the under-30 demographic. Since many people grew up experiencing the divorce of their own parents, some are less likely to get married themselves.
Regardless of the reasoning behind this cultural shift, it is important to note that there are implications for child custody in PA and elsewhere across the country. Failure to take proper precautions can lead to child custody problems down the road for both unwed moms and dads. The PA child custody law is gender neutral, meaning that there is no presumption that the courts will award custody of a child to a particular parent based on gender. Rather, a PA court looks to an established list of factors to determine what child custody arrangement would be in the best interest of the child. Learn more about PA’s child custody law here.
When a child is born outside of marriage in PA, it is important for the father to establish his parental rights by establishing paternity. This way, if the relationship between the parents does not work out at some point in the future, the father will face fewer obstacles in a PA child custody action. Both mothers and fathers should always keep the best interests of their child in mind if child custody becomes an issue within their family.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jason B. Martin, Esquire / The Martin Law Firm, P.C.
Jason Martin, Esq. is an experienced PA family law attorney who assists clients seeking divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support and alimony in Montgomery County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County and Philadelphia County. Contact the Martin Law Firm for a no-obligation, confidential consultation.
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