Problem: How can I make notes with bullet points in this paragraph? Does custody matter? Does it matter whether children are in sole custody with mother or their father or in joint custody with both parents? Most children today are placed in sole custody with their mother. Mothers obtain primary physical custody in close to 80 percent of cases and fathers in about 10 percent; joint physical custody is awarded in only about 4 percent of divorces. But is mother custody always the best arrangement? Researchers have found that father custody is advantageous for children's self- esteem, anxiety, depression, and behavior problems (Clarke-Stewart & Hayward, 1996). Custodial fathers have higher incomes than custodial mothers and are more likely to have emotional support from family and friends. Moreover, when children are in father custody, mothers are more likely to stay involved with them than fathers are when children are in mother custody (Fabricius et al., 2010). Thus, children in father custody have the advantage of continued close ties with both parents. In a national study of 1,400 adolescents ages 12 to 16 years only one-third in mother custody maintained a positive relationship with their father, whereas more than half of those in father custody maintained a close relationship with their mother (Peterson & Zill, 1986). Need Assignment Help?