Child-custody reform, marital investment in children, and the labor supply of married mothers

John Nunley () and Richard Seals ()

Labour Economics, 2011, vol. 18, issue 1, 14-24

Abstract: Research on child custody primarily focuses on the well-being of children following divorce. We extend this literature by examining how the prospect of joint child custody affects within-marriage investment in children through changes in household bargaining power. Variation in the timing of joint-custody reforms across states provides a natural-experiment framework with which to examine within-marriage investment in children. The probability of children's private school attendance declines by 12% in states that adopt joint-custody laws. We also find evidence linking joint-custody reform to higher rates of labor force participation for married mothers, which may indicate less time devoted household production.

Keywords: Child; custody; Child; investment; Intrahousehold; resource; allocation; Private; school; Labor; supply; Household; bargaining (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (38)

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