Child custody arrangements have evolved over the years in the United States. In the beginning when the Colonial Americans settled in the US, the followed the English law which gave fathers custody after the divorce. Back in 1839, England imposed the Custody of Infants Act. This act gave the judge to use his own discretion in child custody cases. This act also gave mothers the right to petition for the custody of her children up until the age of seven. Under the “Tender Years Doctrine”, in 1873 Parliament extended the age to 16 and under. They felt that these years were the best years that the children were best taken care of by their mother. This doctrine was basically used by the majority in the US for the next century.
When divorce rates
When divorce rates