- Welcome to SPARC Forums.
I'm new to all this...where do I start?
If you're just getting started on the SPARC site, we'd suggest doing the following:
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Read the Steps To Protect Yourself page.
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Read the Tips For Getting Started page.
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Get an account on the message boards and start asking questions.
- Use the SPARC Search Engine to find specific information you're interested in on the message boards, or use this link to search the Articles.
After you've done that, come back here and browse the FAQ Center to see if there are any other topics that you'd like to find out more about. If you have questions that aren't answered in the FAQ Center, we encourage you to ask your question on the message boards.
We also suggest you take a look through the articles- almost 500 pages of practical, tips, tools, and techniques that cover numerous divorce and custody issues.
In general, your best source of continuing information will tend to be the message boards. It's a great place to ask questions, get ideas and advice, and to vent some frustration from time to time.
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You can find information specific to your State through the SPARC State Resource Manager.
At what age can my child decide who he/she wants to live with?
The law regarding a child's 'right' to choose which parent to live with varies considerably from State to State. The following documents cover various child-relocation issues:
I want to change custody. What do I have to do?
One of the minimum requirements needed to effect a change in custody is a 'substantial change in circumstances'. You must be able to document the change or changes and show that they are detrimental to the children.
This page discusses the 'substantial change in circumstances' requirement in some detail: Substantial Change In Circumstances
Where can I find some general information on Joint Custody?
You can find general information on Joint Custody here:
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Joint Custody Study by Judith Seltzer
Does joint custody help to reduce conflict between parents or is it simply that cooperative parents are more likely to agree to joint custody in the first place? Studies have demonstrated that joint custody lead to much better compliance in child support and greater parental involvement. -
Sample Shared Parenting Plan
This is a sample of what kinds of things to include in a formal custody agreement. This was written with Joint Custody in mind, but could as easily be used in a Sole custody arrangement as well. -
Joint Custody Laws In The U.S.
Thirty-five states plus the District of Columbia have statutes that explicitly authorize joint custody as a presumption or strong preference. The following are some of the best relevant statutes from States which provide a presumption.
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Child Custody Policies and Divorce Rates in the US
This paper compares divorce rate trends in the United States in states that encourage joint physical custody with those in states that favor sole custody. States with high levels of joint physical custody awards have shown significantly greater declines in divorce rates compared with other states.
- For more information on Joint Custody, try the Articles search engine.