State Senator Relinquishes Child Custody to Father

It seems as though there are not as many fathers with primary custody of their children after a divorce here in Utah. Most fathers that are awarded child custody are often engaged in long, drawn out battles. That is why one recent story about a woman who voluntarily relinquished custody of her children may be surprising to some.

The story profiled a state politician who, when she was younger and just starting her political career, was not ready to be tied down or seen as held back because of having a family in tow. This Lone Star State Senator did not wish to publicize her prior marriages, including the fact that she had two daughters, one from each of those marriages. The Senator divorced both of her husbands, and, in both cases, relinquished custody to the father of each of her children.

In her most recent divorce, court records show that the Texas Senator still retained weekend visitation rights and paid monthly child support of $1,200 to her ex-husband. In an exclusive agreement, her ex-husband was granted the right to decide where the girl would live without having to clear any move with his ex-wife. This was a planned move on the part of the Senator to help her advance her career, and it seems to have paid off.

This situation was unusual. Even though it does occasionally happen, not a lot of mothers make the conscious decision not to fight for custody of their children. Not all marriages and child custody agreements end so amicably here in Utah. For this family, their arrangement was a win-win situation for the mother’s career and the father having custody. When parents work together for the welfare of their children, it sometimes results in beneficial custody arrangements.

Source: nation.foxnews.com, Wendy Davis Gave Up Custody of Youngest Daughter in 2005 Divorce, Michael Patrick Leahy, Jan. 24, 2014