Divorce,Custody, and Visitation:

This paper discusses children's perceptions of the divorce experience. Specifically, it illuminates children's perceptions of divorce, custody, and visitation. Custody and visitation arrangements have been made on the basis of what is believed to be in the best interests of the child. However, the viewpoint of the child is seldom considered in decisions concerning custody and access. Moreover, a negligible amount of empirical research has explored the child's interpretation of custody and visitation. This paper is an attempt to redress this imbalance. Findings based on in-depth interviews with 40 children and teenagers reveal a preference for the post-divorce family structure and more flexible visitation arrangements. Moreover, the feasibility of father and joint-custody is addressed.