Objective research in the social sciences increasingly concludes that fathers are of equal importance to children’s well-being, and that equal shared parenting (in the absence of abuse) is the optimal default for most post-separation arrangements. But study in these areas is rarely part of a family court judge’s background. Lack of transparency in judicial training is a problem in the U.S. as well. Interestingly, last summer the Nebraska Supreme Court ordered the Nebraska State Court Administrator to disclose materials used to train judges in rulings on child-custody cases. A cautionary tale and more evidence, if it were needed, that it’s time for the NJI to open its “social-context” books.

Source: National Post March 20, 2018 15:33 UTC