Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/193319 
Year of Publication: 
2018
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 12025
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper examines the effect of economic incentives generated by U.S. divorce and custody law on a range of child health and human capital measures. State laws vary widely in the treatment of child support under joint custody. While some states require no child support in joint custody cases, other states require fathers with joint custody to pay the same child support as those without custody. Merging family and child data from the SIPP with state-level data on economic incentives for joint custody, we find that fathers' joint custody decisions are significantly affected by the incentives generated by reduced child support. These incentives have negative effects on children's human capital development and health, with economic incentives for joint custody leading to significantly lower educational attainment as well as worse attitudes toward school and child health. Parental characteristics and time use data suggest that economic incentives for joint custody may limit children's time spent with relatively high quality mothers, as fathers pursue joint custody in response to the policy.
Subjects: 
joint custody
child support
divorce
child outcomes
human capital
health behavior
JEL: 
J12
J13
J22
I12
I29
K36
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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