More Staten Island dads are waging custody wars

Story here. Excerpt:

'They are among a growing army of well-intentioned fathers who view the system as stacked against them because of their gender, even though New York State law requires judges and magistrates to consider only the best interests of the child in disputes between parents.
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An increasing number of dads are stepping up to the legal plate to fight custody and visitation battles against women they claim are dead-beat moms, he said.
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On the other side, "There are thousands of guys out there like me," he said. Some men find themselves victims of "moms using the system to send dads into exile from their kids, taking them out of their lives with ease."

Mothers can be vindictive, "hell-bent on destroying you," charged another father who endured a Family Court battle over the custody of his young son. "It's hard. It took me three years to learn how to play the game. It was the worst experience of my entire life."'