Decades ago, family courts in New York would default to viewing the mother as the primary caretaker and the parent who was the most capable of providing children with the nurturing, safe environment they need to thrive. However, courts nowadays prefer to focus on the child’s best interests and make decisions based on what they believe would be best for the child rather than relying on a traditional gender bias. Both the mother and the father have equal rights in custody cases, and custody decisions are not affected by aspects such as gender, race, nationality, religion, and other personal biases.