Childhood Exposure to Joint Custody Reforms and Adult Family Formation

Fernández-Kranz, Daniel () and Fontenay, Sébastien ()
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Fernández-Kranz, Daniel: IE University
Fontenay, Sébastien: Universitat Pompeu Fabra

No 18831, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: Joint custody reforms are among the most consequential family-law changes for children, yet little is known about their long-term effects. Exploiting staggered adoption across US states and 13 million ACS observations, we show that childhood exposure reduces adult fertility by 7 percent, symmetrically for women and men and operates primarily through lower parenthood and couple formation. Effects are sub-additive within couples, while exposed individuals assortatively match. Our findings point to the formation of family preferences during childhood and align with a US fertility decline increasingly driven by rising childlessness and declining couple formation rather than smaller families among parents.

Keywords: fertility; joint custody; family law; household behavior; intergenerational transmission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D13 J12 J13 J16 K36 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-07
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18831

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