Nevada moves toward shared parenting with new law

Nevada has moved from being among the worst states for shared parenting laws to being in the top third. Shared parenting is a flexible arrangement where children spend as close to equal time with each parent as possible after divorce or separation if both parents are fit. It has been shown to be highly beneficial to most children. The changes in the Nevada custody law were brought about by Nevada’s Parental Rights Protection Act of 2015.

According to attorney Keith Pickard, who was the principal architect of the bill, Nevada statutes now establish a presumption of joint legal custody and a preference for joint physical custody, when the parents agree to it. Nevada now has uniform rules against relocating children anywhere that “would substantially impair the ability of the other parent to maintain a meaningful relationship with the child.” And the rules for relocating when parents have shared physical custody are designed to protect both parents’ relationships with the children.

“With the new law in place, Nevada is on its way to giving children what they most want and need after the trauma of parental separation or divorce: the continued love and guidance of both parents,” says Ned Holstein, MD, National Parents Organization founder.

Federal statistics show that shared parenting helps children in multiple ways. For instance, they have higher self-esteem, stay out of trouble, and perform better in school, while for parents it decreases custody battles and increases voluntary child support and college payments. Shared parenting legislation has recently been passed or considered in more than 20 states, including Missouri, where a law promoting shared parenting took effect in August. To further improve, Nevada could provide a clear definition of “joint physical custody” and express an aspiration for 50/50 parenting whenever possible.

“We should celebrate the progress that Nevada has made but also recognize that there is more work to be done,” says Don Hubin, PhD, National Parents Organization Board member. “Nevada serves as additional evidence that the national tide is running towards shared parenting even if its new law is not perfect.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.
The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “... shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”
The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”
Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Census Bureau, children raised by single parents account for:

63% of teen suicides;
70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions;
71% of high school drop-outs;
75% of children in chemical abuse centers;
85% of those in prison;
85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders; and
90% of homeless and runaway children.
MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child-Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he later served on the faculty as a teacher and researcher.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

National Parents Organization, a charitable and educational 501 (c)(3) organization, seeks better lives for children through family law reform that establishes equal rights and responsibilities for fathers and mothers after divorce or separation. The organization is focused on promoting shared parenting and preserving a child’s strong bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.