Divorced fathers who win contested custody of their children: an exploratory study.

Semistructured interviews with 26 divorced fathers who won contested custody of their children suggest that these fathers fall into two types: 1) those who had been actively involved with their children during the marriage and sought custody at separation in order to maintain their relationships, and 2) those who had not been actively involved with their children and waited some two years to seek custody. Characteristics of these two groups are described.