Judges' Reliance on Psychological, Sociological, and Legal Variables in Contested Custody Decisions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19464481 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Erik Sorensen (0000-0001-7473-6991, Oregon State Hospital), Jacquelin Goldman (University of Florida), Lisa Sheeber (0000-0003-1293-943X, Oregon Research Institute), Liana Albanese (University of Florida), Martin Ward (University of Florida), Linda Williamson, Cindy McDanal (University of Florida) |
| Year | 1997 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1-2 |
| Pages | 1-24 |
| Publication date | 1997-08-11 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Divorce & Remarriage (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1050-2556 • E-ISSN: 1540-4811 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1300/j087v27n01_01 |
| OpenAlex | W2037495403 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 24 |
Judges' use of case specific data in determining child custody arrangements was examined. Information collected on 60 contested initial disposition or disposition modification cases was used to model judicial decision-making. The sample was not representative of the full population of divorcing families in that it was disproportionately comprised of high conflict cases in which there were few unequivocally safe placement options. Our results indicated that judges generally followed the legal statutes, attended to the nature of family relationships, and did not rely on a general preference for one parent. Moreover, they demonstrated a strong reliance on the impressions and recommendations of Guardian Ad Litcm personnel. However, some notably important case information was not weighted heavily in judges' decisions. In particular, information regarding the degree of parental conflict, consistently found to be very important to post-divorce child adjustment, did not appear to be used by judges in these cases. Moreover, neither parental substance abuse nor a history of child abduction by a parent influenced decision-making. Implications of these findings are discussed
Child custody · Criminology · Disposition · Family court · Guardian · Judicial opinion · Political science · Population · Sociology · Statute · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Law · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Technologies · Social Psychology
The Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children
Guardian Ad Litem Volunteers as Reporters of Family Characteristics in Contested Custody Cases
Impact on children of abduction by a parent
Father Custody and Social Development in Boys and Girls
Post‐Divorce Family Relationships as Mediating Factors in the Consequences of Divorce for Children
Children's adjustment in joint and sole physical custody families
The role of paternal variables in divorced and married families
Joint custody
Parental divorce and the well-being of children
| Citations per year | 0.14 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2004 - 2015 (12) |
| Highly cited | No |