Joint custody in cases of family breakdown: selected contexts

Abstract

The institution of joint custody is a relatively new phenomenon in Poland. It is still relatively scarcely discussed and explored in legal studies or in pedagogy or psychology. The increasing interest in this form of custody in the situation of parents’ divorce results mainly from the ongoing transformation of parental roles, including the renewed recognition of the role and significance of the father in the child’s life. In cases of family breakdown, joint custody is sought as a solution whose primary objective is the good of the child. The aim of this article is to explore issues related to the use and popularization of joint custody in Poland, to outline changes in legislation regarding the regulations and possibilities of applying for joint custody and to critically analyse the current research on the advantages and disadvantages of joint custody in the context of the psychosocial development of the child in the context of parents’ divorce.