Abstract
The current study presents the findings of an evaluation of Arizona’s 2013 revisions to the child custody statutes that directed courts to “maximize” the child’s parenting time with both parents. A state-wide survey of the four family law professions (i.e., conciliation court staff, judges, mental health providers, and attorneys) assessed their perceptions of the law 4 years after implementation. We averaged the ratings across the four professions to obtain a comprehensive perspective that gave equal weight to each profession. Results revealed that the law functions as a rebuttable presumption of equal parenting time; that it is evaluated positively overall and in terms of children’s best interests; that it is has a neutral impact on legal and interparental conflict; and that it has led to small increases in allegations of domestic violence, child abuse, and substance abuse.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 414-428 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Journal of Divorce and Remarriage |
Volume | 59 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 4 2018 |
Keywords
- Divorce
- equal parenting time
- parent conflict
- parenting time
- public policy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Demography
- Law