DETERMINANTS OF CHILD-CUSTODY ARRANGEMENTS AT DIVORCE

Using data on 509 cases from a census of a large Michigan county's div orces involving minor children filed in the early 1980s, we model the likelihood that mothers versus fathers will receive sole physical cust ody in final judgments. Substantial gender differences in the effects of socioeconomic and legal process variables on custody outcomes are f ound. The odds of father custody are enhanced when children are older, especially when the oldest child Is male, when the father is the plai ntiff and when a court investigation has occurred during divorce proce edings. Odds of father custody are reduced by higher educational level for mothers, higher income for fathers, paternal unemployment, and su pport arrearages prior to final divorce judgments.