Abstract
The parental preference guideline for young children of divorce is generally viewed by the courts with extreme skepticism since it is believed that such children do not possess sufficient cognitive sophistication to know what is in their own best interests. However, the attachment behavior of even young toddlers of one to three years of age has a direct application to custody matters and to visitation issues since it stresses the emotional components of the child's relationship to his caretakers. The affective interchanges between the child and his parents are an accurate indicator of the true empathic nature of the relationship.
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