Are Self‐determined Divorce and Child Custody Agreements Really Better?

The results of this study support the hypothesis that couples who perceived themselves as having actively participated in the development of their own divorce decrees were more satisfied with their custody and financial arrangements and obligations. These same couples, however, reported more postdivorce conflict with their ex‐spouses and more emotional maladjustment. It is concluded that there are costs and benefits attached to self‐determined divorce decrees. Such decrees tend to require greater cooperation between ex‐spouses, which in turn creates more opportunities for disagreements. Thus more attention needs to be paid to helping couples deal with the strife that is likely to occur after the divorce is final.