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Does joint custody work? A first look at outcome data of relitigation
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|January 1, 1982
Summary
Joint custody arrangements, where divorced parents share childrearing, show lower rates of parental conflict. This study suggests joint custody is more beneficial than exclusive custody for reducing postdivorce disputes.
Area of Science:
- Family Law
- Child Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Joint custody is a recent and controversial childrearing arrangement.
- Quantitative outcome studies on joint custody efficacy are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the efficacy of joint custody.
- To compare postdivorce parental conflict in joint versus exclusive custody arrangements.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 414 consecutive child custody cases over 2 years.
- Comparison of relitigation rates between joint and exclusive custody families.
- Relitigation rates used as an indicator of postdivorce parental conflict.
Main Results:
- Joint custody families had one-half the proportion of relitigation compared to exclusive custody families.
- Reduced parental conflict was observed in joint custody cases.
- Data suggests joint custody is a more beneficial arrangement.
Conclusions:
- Joint custody arrangements appear to reduce postdivorce parental conflict.
- Further research into the long-term outcomes of joint custody is warranted.
- Joint custody may be a more effective model for postdivorce co-parenting.