Rethinking the Modification of Child Custody Decrees

Before they reach the age of eighteen, almost one-third of the children in the United States will experience the divorce of their parents.'Deservedly, considerable scholarly attention has been paid to what happens to those millions of children at the time of divorce.Members of the legal profession and social scientists have debated at length the functions and drawbacks of the "best interests of the child" standard traditionally used to decide custody upon divorce.