Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-17-2015
Publication Information
27 Child & Fam. L.Q. 3 (2015)
Abstract
Policy makers in the US currently debate whether to keep discretionary child custody standards, that is, “best interests of the child” clarified by some factors, or to move to a more rule-based system, such as a presumptive shared parenting regime. This article briefly sets out the problem, theoretical and evidence-based ways of approaching it, and some new results from a study of court documents from one US state indicating that a strong presumption of shared custody is associated with an increase in post-decree domestic violence. While presumptions or de facto rules should facilitate bargaining, these results may tip the balance towards the standards plus factors approach.
Recommended Citation
Margaret Brinig,
Substantive Parenting Arrangements in the USA: Unpacking the Policy Choices,
27 Child & Fam. L.Q. 3 (2015).
Available at:
https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/law_faculty_scholarship/1209
