Copenhagen, Denmark–Denmark has passed a shared parenting law that appears to be the real deal. According to news reports, co-parenting is now the default outcome, and joint custody can be repealed only if there are serious concerns for a child”s safety. Not only that, but parents whose divorces were completed in the past can go back to court and seek shared parenting.
The new law went into effect October 1.
I am often skeptical of claims that true shared parenting legislation has been passed. Usually there is a hidden detail that guts the whole idea. For instance, there will be shared parenting only if the two parties agree. Or, the new law provides only for shared legal custody, not shared physical custody – in other words, same old, same old. Or the new law simply allows shared physical custody, but does not establish it as the preferred option – the result of which is the judges keep doing what they have always been doing.
But as far as I can tell from the news reports, this law is the real deal. Hopefully we will get follow-up information from Denmark putting to rest all the nonsensical objections raised by our opponents in the U.S.