Enhancing Legal Frameworks for Single Fathers in Custody Disputes

Open
Dads' Resource Center
State College, Pennsylvania, United States
Executive Director
3
Project
Academic experience
200 hours of work total
Student
Anywhere
Advanced level

Project scope

Categories
Gender studies Social work Law and policy Social justice
Skills
child welfare use case analysis legal research research reports advocacy family law ethical leadership microsoft powerpoint ethical standards and conduct content development
Details
  1. Analyze Legal Challenges: Examine the systemic issues single fathers face in family court and related systems, including misuse of legal instruments and biases in custody disputes.
  2. Provide Legal Insights: Develop actionable recommendations to address identified challenges, focusing on fairness and adherence to human rights principles.
  3. Develop Educational Resources: Create materials to educate stakeholders on the legal and ethical implications of biases against single fathers in custody cases.
  4. Support Advocacy Efforts: Empower the Dads' Resource Center with research-backed insights to advocate for policy reforms and better practices in family law.


Deliverables


Conduct In-Depth Legal Research:

  • Review case laws, statutes, and policies related to custody, domestic violence allegations, and guardians ad litem roles.
  • Analyze the prevalence and impact of false allegations on custody outcomes.
  • Examine international best practices in handling similar family law issues.

Case Studies and Comparative Analysis:

  • Analyze specific legal cases where single fathers faced systemic challenges.
  • Conduct a comparative study of custody laws in Pennsylvania versus other states or countries with progressive frameworks.

Stakeholder Interviews and Surveys:

  • Engage with single fathers, legal professionals, and child welfare experts to gather insights.
  • Develop and distribute surveys to identify patterns of bias and systemic gaps.

Educational Content Development:

  • Create a comprehensive digital presentation on the misuse of legal instruments like orders of protection in custody battles.
  • Design workshop materials focusing on ethical leadership and decision-making in family law.

Draft Policy Recommendations:

  • Prepare a concise policy brief with actionable solutions to improve fairness in custody-related legal processes.
  • Include proposals for systemic changes such as better oversight of guardians ad litem and addressing biases in supervised visitation rulings.

Outcomes:

Comprehensive Research Report:

  • A detailed document outlining key findings, systemic issues, and recommendations for legal reform (PDF format).

Case Analysis Compilation:

  • A collection of analyzed cases highlighting patterns and systemic challenges (PDF format).

Educational Resources:

  • A PowerPoint presentation on the identified challenges and proposed solutions.
  • Workshop design on ethical and unbiased decision-making in family law.

Policy Brief:

  • A succinct, actionable document outlining reforms to address biases against single fathers in custody cases (Word or PDF format).

Prototype for Legal Advocacy:

  • Conceptualize a digital tool (e.g., mobile app or website) to support single fathers in navigating custody disputes.


Mentorship
Regular meetings

Scheduled check-ins to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide feedback.

Supported causes

The global challenges this project addresses, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more about all 17 SDGs here.

Gender equality

About the company

Company
State College, Pennsylvania, United States
2 - 10 employees
Non-profit, philanthropic & civil society

Founded by Dr. Joel N. Myers, the Founder and CEO of AccuWeather, the Dads' Resource Center provides education, research and advocacy for single fathers struggling to be in the lives of their children.