Child Custody Laws

The goal with child custody is to create a lifestyle most beneficial for the child, but these lines are never distinct. Some children benefit from different custody forms than others, even though the path may look like the best thing for them. Custody Laws are nowhere near perfect, and when involving a young child's life they need to be as perfect as they can. One improvement that can be done in Child Custody, is promoting mediation before going to court. Mediation is where parents work together and compromise for rights of their children in the presence of a mediator. Research suggests that with a mediator present there will be increased cooperation rather than tension and difficulty between divorcing parents (Emery & Wyer, 1987). Researchers also suggest that this leads to more positive outcomes for children instead of exposing these children court cases for their custody (Pearson & Thoenness, 1984). If there are success stories with mediators, this should be the first option before going to an unprotected and intense setting like court. Another improvement that should be done in some cases of divorce is the “Birdnest” house. The birdnest house includes the child …show more content…
Mothers are almost always granted more custody and visitation rights of their children. A study done on custody battles between the mother and father, over 80% of the children were in full custody of their mothers; the others were in joint custody of both parents (Grief, 1979). This is not right, because the father has just as much importance on a child’s life just like the mother. Studies show that children with joint custody or more with their father continue to have a high degree of involvement and influence on their child’s growth and development (Grief, 1979). Having an equal involvement of both the mother and father in children’s lives will result in the most balanced