Child custody: why/why not file?
The mother of of our children (ages 1 & 8) and I have been and are still currently cohabiting (unmarried partnership) in California going on 17 years. She has repetitively told me that she "will move our children to her mothers house on the east coast and that I have no say or rights in the matter, so deal with it". Proactively I filed for petition and summons to be served on her requiring written consent to take our children out of state. California allots equal parental rights; I had autographed the birth certificate for each of our children when they were born (which required me to sign a declaration of paternity).
We are in the process of finding counseling for mediation and our relationship. I firmly think and feel (excluding abuse and detrimental dysfunction) that children have a natural right to a full relationship and convenient access to both their parents, and vise versa. I have not filed for any type of custody of our children. At this moment the only reason I would file would be in an effort to legally establish my intent (joint custody 50/50) and circumvent the opportunity for her to file for custody which may restrict my parental rights beyond being equal.
Why/why not file for joint (50/50) or custody? Note: I am attempting to only take actions which I think necessary to secure equal relationship and accessibility for both children and parents.
Thanks.