Child custody matters have long been an issue viewed as one side against the other. A law that was implemented partially in 2017 and put fully into effect a year later in Kentucky is showing that this doesn’t have to be the case. The state was the first in the country to implement a shared parenting law, which was considered the most popular law in Kentucky that year.
The Administrative Office of the Courts issued a new report that the law is having a positive effect here. The number of family law cases hitting the caseload of the courts is going down despite the increase in population. This gives the court the chance to focus on the complex cases and those that involve domestic violence.
The shared parenting law is meant to encourage parents who are divorcing to work as a team to determine what is best for the children. Instead of suing each other and having to take the time and spend the money to go to court, they are utilizing methods like mediation to handle disagreements. This leaves them more money that they can use for other things during the major life change.
The court is also feeling the positive effects of the law. It is now able to work closer with cases that truly need intervention. The judges aren’t having to try to rush through cases in an effort to make it through a packed docket.
Children who are at the heart of these cases reap the biggest benefit. They get to have parents who are involved with them and who aren’t spending all their time fighting with each other. This provides them with stability and shows them a productive example of how to handle adversity with respect.