You may opt to join the Children Rights Council (CRC) in your state. CRC members get legal help from volunteer lawyers who make them understand their rights and obligations as parents. If there s something in the laws that you do not understand, ask the lawyers to shed some light on it. Several support groups for single fathers and single mothers are also available. Despite this, many family courts today still give great weight to the mother s role as the primary caregiver. Nevertheless, more fathers are now winning custody of their children. In some, it is settled by mutual agreement between parties. In others, the children declare preference in living with their fathers. Various Child Custody Options: Guide for Divorcing Parents What are the different child custody options that are available to divorcing or separating parents? The types of custody that parents can choose from depend on the state where they live and the specific situation of their child. Generally, there are five types of custody: physical custody, legal custody, sole custody, joint custody, and bird's nest custody. Effective Tips to Win Your Child Custody Battle Getting a divorce is a nerve-wracking experience for a couple, let alone resolving the child custody issues. In most cases, both parents want custody of their children and are willing to give up everything just to win their custody battle. What most divorced or separated couples do not realize, however, is that custody should focus on what serves the best interest of their children. Parents can change a custody arrangement if it doesn t work, provided they come up with a new plan and ask the judge to make it official. If the parents still disagree, they can ask the judge to do the changes. The judge s decision will be based on the child s best interests. This could be difficult if the child is well-cared for or the custody plan had been in place for some time. Knowing one's self will also enable you to take note of your weaknesses and find ways on how to overcome, manage, and deal with them. The same works for your strengths because you might even find a way on how to improve them. - Keep track of your progress on a regular basis. Monitoring how well or bad you are doing will help you maneuver things that find ways that would best work for you.