The impact of a presumption for joint legal custody on father involvement

Several states have laws that declare a presumption for joint legal custody for divorced families. Although some presumption laws have existed for over two decades, their effects remain unexamined. This study assessed the impact of a presumption law on father involvement by examining days and nights of contact between father and child per month, father attendance at children's activities, father participation in decision-making and payment of child support orders. The results indicate that a presumption law does not currently result in more father involvement; however, the author recommends the application of more well controlled studies before making recommendations to professionals in the field.