Family courts in North Carolina may be more likely to award joint custody to divorcing parents than they were in the past. Today, state governments across the country are encouraging shared parenting with new child custody reform laws. Many courts that used to favor the mother in child custody decisions now refrain from making custody decisions that are based on a parent’s gender.
Some of the states that have passed child custody reforms that include shared parenting laws are Arizona, Missouri, Utah, South Dakota and Minnesota. There are also 20 states that currently have child custody law reforms that are pending. Florida is one state that has strongly opposed laws that encourage shared parenting.
Shared parenting laws vary in different states, but all of the state laws are geared towards encouraging both parents to maintain a relationship with their child after the divorce. There has been a lot of research on shared parenting, and several studies have shown that it is usually in a child’s best interest to spend equal time with both of their parents. Recently, there has also been a lot of focus and research on the concept of parental alienation in divorce cases.
A parent who is going through a divorce may want to be represented by an attorney during child custody negotiations. If the other parent is trying to argue against a shared parenting plan, an attorney may be able to advocate for joint custody and present evidence that shared parenting is in the best interest of the child. An attorney may also help a parent to ensure that a judge has all of the information that they will need to calculate a reasonable child support order.