Deadbeat dad? Try deadlocked dad.

Family courts won’t admit it but when it comes to parenting issues, fathers get the short end of the legal stick.

It’s an issue Danny Guspie, executive director of Fathers’ Resources International (FRI), has seen – and experienced personally – time and again.

His Toronto-based organization has been assisting divorced, separated and forcibly denied fathers see their children for almost two decades.

“We serve fathers because there’s no other form of help for dad,” he says, adding: “Men don’t get a second chance in Family Court while women do.

“Many give up before they even start, believing they have no chance of fairness.”

Guspie created FRI after facing custodial issues himself. He became a researcher, certified law clerk, coach, counsellor and activist.

Working with many of Ontario’s senior family lawyers, FRI helps frustrated dads struggling to gain or maintain time with their kids.

More importantly, it helps men stand up for the right to be a parent.