Ruth A. S. Nichols, Ph. D.AbstractFamily court decisions for final physical rulings can have lasting effects on parent-child relationships, which can affect children’s emotional and physical development. This study assessed percentages in final physical rulings, parents’ perceived conflict, and closeness with their child based on the Child-Parent Relationship Scale, before and after involving family court, mediated by parental alienating behaviors. Primary data were obtained from 652 parents ages 19-64, with a child ages 3-17 years, and a U.S. final family court decision. Results showed that parents across all parenting time percentages experienced increased conflict and decreased closeness with their child before and after initiating the court matter. Final physical court decisions were not related to parental perception of conflict, although parental perception of closeness was influenced by parenting time percentage. Results suggest factors in addition to parental alienating behaviors may influence parent-child relationships, emphasizing the need to expand research on the possible connection between family court rulings and parent-child relationships.Keywords: family court, physical rulings, parenting time, parent-child-relationships, refuse-resist dynamicsIntroductionAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau (ChildStats.gov, 2023), in 2022, over 21 million children of divorced or separated parents were involved in some type of parenting arrangement, more familiarly known as custody arrangements. These typically encompass two aspects of the court’s decision process, i.e., legal and physical. The legal aspect encompasses decision-making in four areas: education, extracurricular activities, medical care, and religion, and falls into four percentage categories: 0%, < 50%, 50%, and 100%. The physical aspect of a parenting plan, also referred to as ‘parenting time,’ is defined as the child’s place of residence and the amount of time spent with each parent and is divided into six percentage categories: 0%; < 35%; 35-49%; 50%; > 50%, and 100%. Family court cases typically involve a temporary, or initial ruling, and a final, or permanent ruling determined at a later date. This study focuses on the final court rulings regarding the physical aspect of parenting arrangements, i.e., parenting time.In the majority of family court cases, approximately 90% of parents resolve their matter independently or with the help of a lawyer or mediator (Rosenfeld, 2020). The remaining 10% of family court cases are considered high conflict (Birnbaum & Bala, 2010; Rosenfeld, 2020), defined as parents who cannot resolve their matter despite repeated court appearances. High conflict situations may arise where parents hold opposing views on how to care for their child and are legally entitled to make decisions about their child’s life (Horvath & Ryznar, 2015).Developing and instituting parenting plans is a legal process that aims to determine the physical decisions in the child’s best interest (Sammut, 2018; Stewart, 2019). This process typically encompasses three facets of family court decisions: the legal and physical aspects of the parenting plan, the allocation of percentages for each parent (see Figure 6.1), and temporary and final court rulings.BackgroundTerminology in Family Court MattersIn the past, the terms ‘custody and ‘custody matters,’ were commonly used in family court matters. However, this terminology has moved toward less judicial and more child-oriented terms (Bala et al., 2017); accordingly, terms such as parenting plan, parenting arrangements, and parenting time are used interchangeably in this paper.Facet One: Legal and Physical Aspects of Parenting ArrangementsThe first facet of the process are the legal and physical aspects of the parenting arrangement. Both aspects are addressed in the temporary and final rulings, which could be revised between the temporary and final decisions (CustodyXchange, 2023; Law.com, n.d.).The physical aspect of a parenting plan focuses on where the child lives and sleeps (Tornello et al., 2013) and the time a child is allotted with each parent. The parenting plan includes explicit instructions about the child’s residence, including weekends, holidays, and summer vacations.Facet Two: Percentages Outlined in Parenting ArrangementsThe second facet presents parenting percentages for each aspect that were designated in the temporary and final court decisions. For the purposes of this paper, only the physical aspect will be discussed.The physical aspect consists of six percentage categories: 0%, < 35%, 35-49%, 50%, > 50%, or 100%. A percentage of less than 35% of parenting time may include a parent with supervised visitation, in which parent-child time takes place in the presence of a court-approved attendant.Facet Three: Temporary and Final RulingsThe third facet of family court matters involve temporary and final court rulings. Typically, after one parent files a parenting plan, a judge issues a temporary or initial ruling approving the plan (American Bar Association, 2020), which stands until the final ruling. Final rulings are rendered after issues with the arrangement are resolved (Cancian et al., 2014). Each state has its own guidelines, legal parameters, and time frames for making court decisions.