Crazy paternity leave situation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking care of a newborn is HARD. Many men are not cut out for doing hard things.

This is the correct answer to this thread. Expectations must be kept extremely low. That was Op's friends issue with her husband .

Maybe don't have babies with loser men who can't take care of them?

OP didn't say HHI and whether they hired a nanny. Bring home money is taking care of them.

Somehow millions of working moms manage to bring home money and actually be present to raise their children.

[Anonymous]

Our firm gave paternity leave but you would basically be fired if you took it. Not the best look for someone high up. The fact that they couldn’t discuss this means they shouldn’t gs d been having a baby. Divorce is long overdue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

Pp obviously knows nothing. He will get 50 percent unless there has been serious physical abuse, serious not just a tad. Don’t talk about things you know nothing about! Your misinformation may cause a woman to make decisions that would not benefit her or her kids. It’s 50/50, regardless of what an ass he was as a father while married.

[Anonymous]

No lying is not okay. However op’s friend must have been getting on her husband’s nerve to make him cut his leave short. Her self assessment about her being crazy is probably correct

[Anonymous]

Many of you come to these discussions with the wrong premise. You all need to understand and accept that childcare is primarily the mother’s responsibility. Dads should help whenever possible, but the primary childcare and household responsibility lies with the mother. This is natural.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many of you come to these discussions with the wrong premise. You all need to understand and accept that childcare is primarily the mother’s responsibility. Dads should help whenever possible, but the primary childcare and household responsibility lies with the mother. This is natural.

I see the trolls have found this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

Pp obviously knows nothing. He will get 50 percent unless there has been serious physical abuse, serious not just a tad. Don’t talk about things you know nothing about! Your misinformation may cause a woman to make decisions that would not benefit her or her kids. It’s 50/50, regardless of what an ass he was as a father while married.

You are absolutely wrong. Please go look at the DC law on custody and get back to me. It is NOT 50-50 regardless of the father’s conduct during the marriage. If he blew off parenting then he has no legal entitlement to 50% after divorce. That is not how the law works. Moreover if he blows off parenting the mom could be in the position to get permission to relocate out of state. Men blow off parenting at their peril. (well actually these types usually don’t want 50-50 anyway but that’s a different discussion.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She should be upset at the deception. He is a jerk that didn't care about his kid or wife at a critical time. DH got 2 weeks and took it when the baby was born. Then at 4 months spent his hard earned month of PTO to stay home with the baby while I went back to work as a childcare transition. He did that for both kids and really bonded wit them as babies and understood what it's like to take care of a completely helpless being.

I’ve always thought this was a great way to do it.

Frankly in the offices I have worked in, we would probably think less of a dad who did not take a considerable portion of his leave. It doesn’t actually reflect well on him as a person or show the ability to handle your workload.

Same with the Fortune 500 workplaces I have been in and a few gave up to 4 months (often topped up to 6 with vacation). I think some of these posters must be older and/or work for smaller enterprises, but in my experience it is absolutely expected for parents to take their full leaves and honestly, others would think you're kind of a POS not to. Most commonly for the men they split it between birth and when their wives go back to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

R u nuts?

Why are they even going to court and not mediating?

And no, divorce court doesn’t care if someone never used up their vacation days or benefits or leave long ago or even last year.

You barely have a point OP. And you clearly aren’t old enough to observe how it plays out in real jobs at real employers post covid.

I’m a PP not OP. And yes in allocating physical custody a court will absolutely consider which parent has been the active parent. Dads who did everything they could to avoid parenting (including lying about their leave) will have a hard time showing they are entitled to 50-50 especially for small kids. And again someone millions of moms figure out how to hold down jobs and parent.

Not sure what state you are in it 50/50 is the default for anything unless physically abusing the child, not other spouse.

Lying or forgetting about unused paternity leave ain’t a needle mover.

Hope your lawyer helps you or if they’re milking you hope you run out of money fast.

That’s not true. If a dad has not been actively involved in parenting (to the extent he lied about paternity leave) then this is good evidence that the best interests of the child are to stay with the mom more than 50% of the time.

Who keeps posting the above BS over and over? Not using up all your leave time is not “evidence” of anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

R u nuts?

Why are they even going to court and not mediating?

And no, divorce court doesn’t care if someone never used up their vacation days or benefits or leave long ago or even last year.

You barely have a point OP. And you clearly aren’t old enough to observe how it plays out in real jobs at real employers post covid.

I’m a PP not OP. And yes in allocating physical custody a court will absolutely consider which parent has been the active parent. Dads who did everything they could to avoid parenting (including lying about their leave) will have a hard time showing they are entitled to 50-50 especially for small kids. And again someone millions of moms figure out how to hold down jobs and parent.

Not sure what state you are in it 50/50 is the default for anything unless physically abusing the child, not other spouse.

Lying or forgetting about unused paternity leave ain’t a needle mover.

Hope your lawyer helps you or if they’re milking you hope you run out of money fast.

That’s not true. If a dad has not been actively involved in parenting (to the extent he lied about paternity leave) then this is good evidence that the best interests of the child are to stay with the mom more than 50% of the time.

You know of cases where custody was determined by looking back at how many days of paternity were taken and used? Really?

I know that there are cases where the dad’s history of uninvolvement impacts custody time - and this is expressly a factor for the DC courts to consider. Obviously using deception to evade paternity leave would be something a judge would likely take note of.

Like in Troll-landia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

R u nuts?

Why are they even going to court and not mediating?

And no, divorce court doesn’t care if someone never used up their vacation days or benefits or leave long ago or even last year.

You barely have a point OP. And you clearly aren’t old enough to observe how it plays out in real jobs at real employers post covid.

I’m a PP not OP. And yes in allocating physical custody a court will absolutely consider which parent has been the active parent. Dads who did everything they could to avoid parenting (including lying about their leave) will have a hard time showing they are entitled to 50-50 especially for small kids. And again someone millions of moms figure out how to hold down jobs and parent.

Not sure what state you are in it 50/50 is the default for anything unless physically abusing the child, not other spouse.

Lying or forgetting about unused paternity leave ain’t a needle mover.

Hope your lawyer helps you or if they’re milking you hope you run out of money fast.

That’s not true. If a dad has not been actively involved in parenting (to the extent he lied about paternity leave) then this is good evidence that the best interests of the child are to stay with the mom more than 50% of the time.

Who keeps posting the above BS over and over? Not using up all your leave time is not “evidence” of anything.

Of course it is one piece of evidence. if it was the only think and Dad became super hands on and involved in daily parenting from there on out, no, it would not matter. Somehow I doubt that was the case here though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

R u nuts?

Why are they even going to court and not mediating?

And no, divorce court doesn’t care if someone never used up their vacation days or benefits or leave long ago or even last year.

You barely have a point OP. And you clearly aren’t old enough to observe how it plays out in real jobs at real employers post covid.

I’m a PP not OP. And yes in allocating physical custody a court will absolutely consider which parent has been the active parent. Dads who did everything they could to avoid parenting (including lying about their leave) will have a hard time showing they are entitled to 50-50 especially for small kids. And again someone millions of moms figure out how to hold down jobs and parent.

Not sure what state you are in it 50/50 is the default for anything unless physically abusing the child, not other spouse.

Lying or forgetting about unused paternity leave ain’t a needle mover.

Hope your lawyer helps you or if they’re milking you hope you run out of money fast.

That’s not true. If a dad has not been actively involved in parenting (to the extent he lied about paternity leave) then this is good evidence that the best interests of the child are to stay with the mom more than 50% of the time.

You know of cases where custody was determined by looking back at how many days of paternity were taken and used? Really?

I know that there are cases where the dad’s history of uninvolvement impacts custody time - and this is expressly a factor for the DC courts to consider. Obviously using deception to evade paternity leave would be something a judge would likely take note of.

Like in Troll-landia

I mean you can read the law yourself:
https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/16-914

It states that when determining how to allocate custody, the court SHALL consider “I) the prior involvement of each parent in the child’s life.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

R u nuts?

Why are they even going to court and not mediating?

And no, divorce court doesn’t care if someone never used up their vacation days or benefits or leave long ago or even last year.

You barely have a point OP. And you clearly aren’t old enough to observe how it plays out in real jobs at real employers post covid.

I’m a PP not OP. And yes in allocating physical custody a court will absolutely consider which parent has been the active parent. Dads who did everything they could to avoid parenting (including lying about their leave) will have a hard time showing they are entitled to 50-50 especially for small kids. And again someone millions of moms figure out how to hold down jobs and parent.

Not sure what state you are in it 50/50 is the default for anything unless physically abusing the child, not other spouse.

Lying or forgetting about unused paternity leave ain’t a needle mover.

Hope your lawyer helps you or if they’re milking you hope you run out of money fast.

That’s not true. If a dad has not been actively involved in parenting (to the extent he lied about paternity leave) then this is good evidence that the best interests of the child are to stay with the mom more than 50% of the time.

You know of cases where custody was determined by looking back at how many days of paternity were taken and used? Really?

I know that there are cases where the dad’s history of uninvolvement impacts custody time - and this is expressly a factor for the DC courts to consider. Obviously using deception to evade paternity leave would be something a judge would likely take note of.

So no, you don't. If you have to reach that far back to try to make this case you have nothing.

[Anonymous]

Dude, this is a weird question. I'm a mom of three, and have never taken a full maternrity leave, have done hybrid work as was in high-powered roles where it would have been impossible to take a full leave. My DH also in a high power role and maybe took a few days of leave. Yes, each of us were entitled to more, but we took less, because we are invested in career future and monetization of our talents as well as newborn care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend came to me with the saddest mid-divorce reveal I’ve ever heard. When her only child was born, her DH only had 2 weeks of paternity leave. He didn’t take all of it and went back 2 days early. It was really hard on her and sometimes we still look back on those days pretty ruefully. The worst part was he worked for a Fortune 500 company that changed paternity-specific leave to parental leave that year and gave everyone with a new child 12 weeks, paid. He ended up covering leave for half his team while they still had their own tiny baby at home.

As part of some kind of mediation session during divorce, she found out that he actually had 6 weeks leave and just never took it. Which explained why when she asked him to petition to HR to be grandfathered in or get some kind of additional leave when they changed the policy, he said it was impossible.

I’ve never heard anything quite so specific and awful that wasn’t an affair. She’s asking me if she’s crazy. Am I ok in validating that this was a supremely messed up act of deception? Why would a father do that?

We are supposed to believe that this is a big issue for her now? Years later? During a divorce?

First off, the family courts won’t care.

Second off, you are saying he lied about it? Surely he lies all the time to look or feel better so this is just one example of many.

Next, yes white collared jobs with clients do a mix of things for taking actual leave or not. Up to the couple to take it when over the first 12 mos of when eligible. Some do a week or two right away, or after the grandparents guests leave.c or after the wife’s 12 weeks fml, or before the new nanny shows up, or whatever or only 1 or 2 weeks. Same with women.

Oh I think a family court might care if a dad lied to cut short his paternity leave. It’s probably part of a pattern of him avoiding caregiving duties. Although I stuck it out with my ex for several more years, I would have had an airtight case for getting much more than 50% physical custody based on his complete disinterest in being an active parent to a baby. He was actively avoiding it by claiming to “work late.”

R u nuts?

Why are they even going to court and not mediating?

And no, divorce court doesn’t care if someone never used up their vacation days or benefits or leave long ago or even last year.

You barely have a point OP. And you clearly aren’t old enough to observe how it plays out in real jobs at real employers post covid.

I’m a PP not OP. And yes in allocating physical custody a court will absolutely consider which parent has been the active parent. Dads who did everything they could to avoid parenting (including lying about their leave) will have a hard time showing they are entitled to 50-50 especially for small kids. And again someone millions of moms figure out how to hold down jobs and parent.

Not sure what state you are in it 50/50 is the default for anything unless physically abusing the child, not other spouse.

Lying or forgetting about unused paternity leave ain’t a needle mover.

Hope your lawyer helps you or if they’re milking you hope you run out of money fast.

That’s not true. If a dad has not been actively involved in parenting (to the extent he lied about paternity leave) then this is good evidence that the best interests of the child are to stay with the mom more than 50% of the time.

You know of cases where custody was determined by looking back at how many days of paternity were taken and used? Really?

I know that there are cases where the dad’s history of uninvolvement impacts custody time - and this is expressly a factor for the DC courts to consider. Obviously using deception to evade paternity leave would be something a judge would likely take note of.

So no, you don't. If you have to reach that far back to try to make this case you have nothing.

Are you really trying to say that just because I can’t show you a case where a dude specifically faked not having paternity leave in order to evade parenting responsibilities, that it can never be a fact used in a custody determination?