Closing the Gap: Research, Policy, Practice, and Shared Parenting

I. Overview153 II. Definitions Relevant to Shared Parenting154 III. Social Changes Leading to the Emergence of Shared Parenting as a Major Family Law Controversy155 IV. Legal Changes Leading to the Emergence of Shared Parenting as a Major Family Law Controversy156 Presumptions in Custody Law: A Brief Historical Introduction156 The Current Status of Shared Parenting Presumptions156 Domestic Violence and “Friendly Parent” Provisions157 Parenting Plans 157 V. Priorities at Issue158 VI. The Evidence Social Psychological Research Brings to Bear on Potential Policy Directions159 Shared Parenting: Sharing the Parenting Rather than Dividing the Time161 Parent Involvement 162 Young Children’s Overnights163 Domestic Violence/IPV164 VII. Complications in Applying Shared Parenting Research to Family Law164 Making Comparisons of Studies that are Not Directly Comparable165 Research Rarely Answers the Specific Question Policy Makers are Trying to Address165 Recognizing Trustworthy Research 165 Static versus Dynamic View of Parenting166 VIII. Presumptions and Factors about Shared Parenting and Joint Decision making167 Presumptions 167 Factors168 IX. Role of the Family Courts in Shared Parenting Dispute Resolution169 X. Future Research 170 Shared Parenting Arrangements170 Parent Involvement 170 Young Children and Overnights170 Domestic Violence/IPV171 Family Court Processes171 XI. Conclusion171 Appendix: Think Tank Contributors171 Notes172 References173