The “Approximation Rule”: Another Proposed Reform That Misses the Target

—In his article on the approximation rule, Warshak correctly notes both that the rule is unlikely to minimize the adverse effects of parents’ separation on their children’s adjustment and that it misrepresents the relevant social science literature. More specifically, the rule is unlikely to reduce either the level of conflict between parents or their children’s harmful exposure to it, mistakenly confuses the amount of parent–child time with parental commitment, and ignores the difficulties inherent in measuring not only the amounts of time spent in caregiving but also other fundamental aspects of parental involvement and importance. For these reasons, it does not represent an improvement over the “best‐interests standard” it seeks to replace.