{3:15 minutes to read} This is a continuation in our article series that focuses on Joint and Sole Custody. Click here to read part 1, part 2, part 3, or part 4.

This is the last article on this series:

In dissecting the literature on shared parenting versus sole custody, some consensus appears to emerge:

1. Children seem to benefit from shared arrangements when the parents are able to:

(a) Jointly establish proper parenting plans, and

(b) Co-parent in a respectful and cooperative fashion that factors in the children’s needs first and foremost.

2. Shared parenting works best when children are provided the opportunity to maintain meaningful and satisfying relationships with both parents and have a voice in such arrangements.

3. Shared parenting that increases the frequency of the child’s exposure to conflict is associated with poor outcomes for the child.

4. Children do not benefit from parenting arrangements that are rigid and unresponsive to their needs.

5. Shared parenting arrangement plans must take into account the age of the child, and might be less advisable for children under the age of 4. This is so because preschoolers have yet to develop the abilities to:

(a) Self-soothe,

(b) Organize their own feelings and behavior, and

(c) Understand language well enough to communicate the past & future events and their emotional states.

6. The development of this set of skills appears to be critical in alleviating the risk of the strain that accompanies frequent movement between two homes and the separation from primary caregivers.

Methodological issues that should be kept in mind in reviewing the literature on shared vs. sole custody:

1. Most studies do not have a comparison or control group and differ with respect to the definition of important issues such as samples, and the definition of shared parenting.

2. In defining clinical samples, it seems that a question worth asking would be whether it is wise to combine cooperative self-selected families with court-mandated shared arrangement families. Is this combination likely to contaminate results?

3. Most studies are cross-sectional and correlational in nature, with no implications for causality.

Directions for future research

Future research would be well advised to focus on:

1. Longitudinal studies, which involve measurements over time and allow for the assessment of different variables.

2. Investigate the potential role of factors such as socialization processes and the role of parental expectations, as to the input they may carry vis-à-vis the parent satisfaction of future post-divorce sharing arrangements.

I look forward to your thoughts or questions. Please contact me at nycforensics@gmail.com with questions or comments.

Dr. Alberto Yohananoff
NYC Forensics
dryohananoff@nycforensics.com
P: (646) 284-5600
F: (212) 706-9136

Posted in Forensic Evaluations