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Abstract

The current prevalence of joint custody awarded in New Jersey, where joint custody is an option, was estimated through a review of 567 family court records covering 1985–87 from two New Jersey counties where divorce decrees involving minor children had been issued. A rate of 11% was found in the county that ranked among the lowest in per capita income and of 19.5% in the county that ranked most affluent in New Jersey–-significantly greater than the estimated 5% of joint custody awarded in New Jersey in 1978. However, in California, where a presumption for joint custody had existed, a study of two counties found that 58% of parents divorcing in 1985 sought joint custody. In both states the predominant mode of joint custody was joint legal custody with physical custody to the mother.

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Child Custody Arrangements: A Study of two New Jersey Counties

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