Should unmarried parents get joint custody?

It should be decided based on individual cases, in my opinion.

I think that is a good idea. Some women will get around it by not naming the father of their child. But for most parents (fathers and mothers) it would be better -joint custody with the person on the birth certificate would mean less cases in court - since paternity is assumed if the person signs the birth certificate.

Before I comment, I'd like to see your link to this "legal" info. It just doesn't sound right to me.

I wasn't married to my children's mother, ( a long story), but I wound up with custody.

One thing I do know for a fact, your comment of "Currently a majority of states in the US grant an unmarried mother sole custody....." I know for a fact that is wrong! I can't speak of MN laws, but the thing about majority of states giving mothers sole custody is something that you've either mis-read, mis-understood, or just made up.

I just looked up statutes for MN about child custody by unmarried parents. As I guessed, you mis-read the law! It says that the fathers of children born out of wedlock do not have any rights UNLESS the father files a petition before the local court. When he does, he gets the same rights as a married/divorced father. The mother can object, but she has the burden of proof to show that giving the father rights would be harmful to the child/children.

Go speak with an attorney in your area. Any woman that goes out of her way to keep a child from their father shouldn't have custody at all!

Being married carries with it a bundle of legal contracts and responsibilities. Unmarried couples do not have this legal obligation because their bonding is not taken into legal record. Unmarried parents should be given the choice to have joint custody, but in the event that joint custody is not agreed with, adoption is always an option.

The legal profession has succeeded in making all logical activities require lawyers. The father has to get a lawyer to try for visitation or fight for custody. I believe children should be part of both lives and anyone that creates a child should be forced to support the child emotionally as well as financially. Many of the problems today come from one parent families that are over burdened with daily stress and end up abusing the child instead of taking responsibility and sharing it to give the child a better life.

I don't know where you heard that, but in fact if the father simply shows up and asks for partial custody, they are usually granted.

Unmarried parents should grow up,, get married, and accept responsibility. Any idiot cam become a father or mother. it takes a real man and woman to get married and accept responsibility. Otherwise, use a condom, or better yet, learn to control your desires.

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I'd prefer to look at it from the other perspective.

Every child should have the right to have contact with both their parents unless there is a compelling reason why they should not see one or other parent.

That's terrible. Yes, it should be joint.