Custody Cases Increasingly Involve Religious Issues

Today's New York Times reports on the increasing number of custody cases in which religion has become an issue. Judges are reluctant to base decisions on parents' religious preferences. Many states are trying mediation as a way of resolving custody disputes. ABA Family Law Custody Committee chairman William Nelson attributes the increasing number of religious disputes in custody cases to a general growth in conflicts between parents along with the rise of intermarriage and religious conversions.