Establishes presumption of joint legal and physical custody in child custody matters.
This bill establishes a legal presumption that joint legal and physical custody is in a child's best interest for all New Jersey child custody cases. It requires courts to assume equal or approximately equal time with both parents and shared decision-making on health, education, and welfare, unless a parent provides clear evidence that joint custody would harm the child. To rebut this presumption, a parent must prove harm with "clear and convincing evidence," and courts must document their reasoning. The law applies directly to parents and judges handling custody disputes in New Jersey courts. If passed, it would shift the default custody arrangement from flexible court discretion to equal shared parenting, with limited exceptions.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Last action Jan 13, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
lower
2 primary · 8 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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