Custody, Access and Child Support: Findings from The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

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III - WHEN PARENTS SEPARATE: CANADIAN CHILDREN FROM BROKEN FAMILIES AND THE LAW (continued)

Custody Arrangements

When couples increasingly live together and have families without marrying, we have seen that breaking up also tends to occur without resort to the legal system. Does this affect the likelihood of separated parents obtaining a court order for custody? Is the custody of children increasingly arranged out of court? How does this relate to the parents' decision not to marry or divorce?

The NLSCY asked parents the following questions about their custody arrangements:

• "Was there a court order concerning ...'s custody when his/her parents separated or divorced?"

  • 1. Yes
  • 2. Yes, in progress
  • 3. No
  • 8. Don't know
  • 9. Refusal

• "Did the court order him/her to be put into ... ?"

  • 1. Sole custody of mother
  • 2. Sole custody of father
  • 3. Shared physical custody of both
  • 4. Other
  • 8. Don't know
  • 9. Refusal

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