Oct. 15, 2018-Social and legal policy should discourage conflict, not encourage it.

Any policy that encourages the instigation and maintenance of conflict between parents by suggesting that such behavior might be rewarded with more parenting time puts the needs of the children second to the desires of whichever parent opposes sharing parenting time. Such a policy contradicts the best-interest standard whose primary purpose is to ensure that the child’s welfare trumps parental entitlements.53 A policy focused on children’s best interests will decrease the risks of harm to them by discouraging rather than encouraging inter-parental conflict.

Richard A. Warshak (2017), Stemming the Tide of Misinformation: International Consensus on Shared Parenting and Overnighting, Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, vol. 30, at p. 198-199