A law setting 50-50 shared custody as the state’s standard was hailed as a victory for fathers, but critics say it puts mothers and children at risk.

By Rachel Wolfe
Photo: William DeShazer for WSJ

This brief provides information on child support for fathers who have custody of their children. It begins by reviewing the definitions of physical and legal custody, and discussing the importance and implications of child support for fathers, for children, and for fathers' partners.

A record 8% of households with minor children in the United States are headed by a single father, up from just over 1% in 1960, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Decennial Census and American Community Survey data.

By Gretchen Livingston Livingston