Single fatherhood on the rise in Wisconsin

Records obtained from the most recent U.S. Census indicate that an increasing number of single fathers have custody of their children in Wisconsin.

The number of homes in which a single father is raising children under the age of 18 has grown by 35 percent since 2000. Households headed by single men with minor children numbered 57,788. This represents the largest growth in family households in Wisconsin.

About 146,000 households in Wisconsin are managed by single moms, representing a 13 percent increase. Couples who are married with children still represent the bulk of households in the state at 68.5 percent though that number is down by about 10 percent since the previous census in 2000.

The transition to being a single parent is not always easy for new parents who often can’t anticipate what managing a household alone with children entails. Single parents call attention to the importance of communicating with the children and being honest with them. Others speak of the need to adjust and to include time for themselves during the day.

Many single-parent households are the product of divorce. However, many single parents are never married. As family law attorneys are seeing a shift towards more single-parent households in Wisconsin, the type of family law cases we handle shift as well. When parents are divorced, the divorce decree will specify the terms of child custody, visitation and child support. On the other hand, when parents are never married, these important issues can be settled in a paternity lawsuit.

Source: GreenwichTime.com, “Census data shows more homes led by single dads,” 19 June 2011