A group of men claiming that state courts and custody laws discriminate against fathers, thereby harming children, protested in front of the Worcester Courthouse yesterday. Supporters of the group Dads Against Divorce Discrimination, based in Westboro, said the demonstration was called to coincide with a national effort to draw attention to the rights of fathers in seven states yesterday. At the root of the problem, said Mr. Skold, are divorce court decisions that give sole custody or physical custody to the mother. Fathers often get to see their children for only four to 10 hours a month or every other weekend under those orders, he said. Mr. Skold said that in most of those instances, fathers are asking for greater custody rights and the courts deny them.
Kids are the ones who suffer a loss when they onlyhave one parent.
He said that Massachusetts is one of only half-dozen states in which custody laws do not require a custody agreement. He argued that divorce and custody laws give too much discretion to judges. Children's hearts are breaking. The group said the state Legislature isconsidering several changes in custody laws.