Joint custody boosts fathers' earnings and children's test scores

A new study finds that joint custody after divorce significantly improves fathers' earnings and mental health while boosting children's academic performance, with no negative effects on mothers. The research analyzed over 25 years of Swedish court rulings. The study exploited random assignment of judges with differing custody preferences to overcome selection bias. Three years after rulings, fathers with joint custody were 25 percentage points more likely to earn above the 25th percentile and 17 percentage points less likely to use antidepressants. Children scored 0.47 standard deviations higher on standardized tests, with no change in mental health prescriptions. For mothers, joint custody showed no measurable impacts on earnings or mental health, as they typically retain daily access under sole custody. Joint custody also kept former partners geographically closer and did not increase intimate partner violence allegations, indicating overall net positive family outcomes.