This article will explore various clinical, sociological, and legal justificiations given for the adoption, by some state courts, of joint legal custody as a preference or custodial norm. It will suggest that this trend, however well intentioned, may be ineffective and counterproductive. It may serve only to undermine the values advocates assume it will promote. It may cause harm to the children it is intended to benefit. Furthermore, there are other reforms, some already underway, that may be more effective in promoting these values, and in serving the needs of postdivorce parents and their children.
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