Published In
International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2004
Subjects
Child custody-Canada; Child custody-Australia; Domestic relations-Comparative law
Abstract
This article looks at the outcomes of recent custody law reform inquiries in Canada and Australia, and examines the ways in which the reform processes in each country dealt with the claims of the various stakeholders and the emerging empirical research on post-separation parenting. Although the outcomes of the two processes were significantly different - one espousing a belief that 'no one size fits all families', the other promoting different approaches for differently situated families with a preference for shared parenting - it is argued that both reflect the moderating influence of the empirical evidence on the claims made by disaffected consumers of the family law system, a characteristic that distinguishes them from Australia's 1995 custody reform process.
Citation Details
Susan B Boyd & Helen Rhoades, "Reforming Custody Laws: A Comparative Study" (2004) 18:2 Int'l JL Pol'y & Fam 119-146.