joint custody & shared physical custody in switzerland martin widrig

RECHTSWISSENSCHAFTLICHE FAKULTÄT / Universität FreiburgLehrstuhl für XXX

Joint Custody & Shared Physical Custody in Switzerland

Martin Widrig

RECHTSWISSENSCHAFTLICHE FAKULTÄT / Universität FreiburgLehrstuhl für XXX

Joint Custody & Shared Physical Custody in Switzerland

Table of Contents

A. Insight into Switzerland

B. Divorce Behaviour

C. Share of Parental Tasks

D. Custody

E. Shared Physical Custody

F. Conclusion

2

A. Insight into Switzerland (1)

Population: 8 Million (2013)

Federation: 26 Cantons

4 Languages/Cultures: German (65.6%)

French (22.8%)

Italian (8.4%)

Romanch (0.6%)

Aging population: < 20 : 20% (in 1900: 41%)

20 – 39 : 27%

40 – 64 : 36%

> 65 : 17%

3


Births

4

Switzerland OECD-average

Remarks

Birth-rate 1.50 1.74 Fig. 1

Births/year 80’000

Illegitimate children

16.2% 33.4% Fig. 2


Households

5

Households with...


Remarks

No children 74.1% 61%

Children 25.9% 39% Fig. 3

• One 10.3 17.5

• Two 12.2 15.2

• Three & more 3.4 6.3

6


Households with Children

Children living with


both parents 84.7 83.8 Fig. 4

one parent 15.2 14.9


Public Spending

Fig. 5

7

% of GDP

France 3.67

UK 3.56

OECD-average 2.19

Switzerland 1.4

A. Switzerland, an Overview (6)

Poverty Risk

Fig. 6 and 7

8

Avg. Sole parent Two parents

Working Not working

No worker

One worker

Two workers

Switzerland 9.4 21.6 7.6

OECD-average

12.7 61.4 21.3 49.4 17.3 3.9

B. Divorce Behavior (1)

9


Increasing number of divorces:

Duration of marriage: 14.5 years

Requested by husband: in 37%

Divorces involving children:

10

2010 54.4% (22’081)

1970 15.4%


45.1% 55.9%


Number of Children concerned

Year Children concerned

2010 15’374

2009 13’789

2008 14’141

11


Age of Children concerned

Year Children concerned

0-4 years 5-9 years 10-14 years 15 years +

2010 15’374 9% 31% 36% 25%

2009 13’789 8 31 36 25

2008 14’141 8 31 36 25

Total 67%

12

Ideal age for Shared Physical Custody

C. Share of Parental Tasks (1)

Overview

Dual-earner families (76%)

Most Mothers work

when child < 3 years (58%, OECD: 52%)

with > 2 children (58%, OECD: 44%)

Many women work part-time (47%, OECD: 22%)

Most Fathers work full time (90%)

Mothers do most house and family work

Fig. 8 - 11

13


14

Age youngest Child

Task Mother (hrs.)

Father (hrs.)

0-6 years House & Family

55.6 29.4 35%

Job

11.8 40.1

Total 67.4 69.5

7-14 years House & Family

44.4 22.2 33%

Job

16.7 40.3

Total 61.1 62.5

Fig. 12


Child Related Family Work

15

Hours

Mother 20.5

Father

12.2 (37%)

Fathers are important Attachment Figures

D. Custody (1)

Legal situation

January 1, 2000 January 1, 2014

Married Parents Joint Custody Joint Custody Joint Custody

Divorced Parents Sole Custody(1988)

• Sole Custody• Joint Custody (consent)

• Joint Custody • Sole Custody (exception)

Unmarried Parents Sole Custody • Sole Custody • Joint Custody (consent + convention)

• Sole Custody • Joint Custody (Consent or on request)

16

D. Custody (2)

Attribution of Custody

17

Year Mother Joint Custody Father

2010 50.6% 45.5% 3.8%

2009 55.9 39.4 4.5%

2008 58.4 36.3 4.8%

2006 64.7 29.0 6.0%

2003 68.1 25.8 5.7%

2000 78.5 14.6 6.4%

D. Custody (3)

Regional Differences in attribution of Custody

18

Canton Mother Joint Custody Father

Zurich (German) 53.4% 42.8% 3.9%

Geneva (French) 36.2 61.2 2.6

Ticino (Italian) 50.9 47.4 1.7

D. Custody (4)

Attribution of Custody to Unmarried Parents (City of Zurich, 60% live together)

19

Year # of Illegitimate children born

Joint Custody

2010 1166 67.8%

2008 972 65.3

2006 679 52.7

2004 634 41.5

2002 649 40.5

D. Custody (5) Discussion

Joint Custody:

Increase since 2000

Low attribution when unmarried parents did not live together

Regional differences

Big differences to neighbouring countries with same language

20

Germany Switzerland

Sole Custody of Father (2010)

13% 3.8%


Problems with existing Custody Rules:

Consent “of both parents”

Too little contact rights + low protection Loss of contact (50%)

Incompatibility with Human Rights (ECHR, 2009):

21


ECHR, judgement Zaunegger v. Germany (22028/04), 3.12.2009

Discrimination of unmarried fathers (Art. 8 + 14 ECHR)

Protection of custody by Art. 8 ECHR

Custody includes decisions on: Education, Care & where the Child lives

Requirement of judicial review (is measure in in Child’s best

interest?)

22


ECHR, judgement Zaunegger

?? Right to Joint and Shared Physical Custody ?? Art. 8 ECHR Art. 16 UN-Convention of the Rights of the Child

If JC & SPC in child’s best Interest: no reason for restriction Right of the Child to have best possible care-solution

Minimal consequences: Regulation of SPC in legislation is required Attribution of JC & SPC without consent must be possible

23


Lessons from Joint Custody Revision (2004-2014):

Heavy opposition

Scepticism by Practicians and authorities

But: Wide Acceptance and openness by the Population

24

E. Shared Physical Custody (1)

25

January 1, 2000 January 1, 2014

Divorced Parents

Legally not possible

Possible if • Consent• Childs BI

??? ECHR ??? Unmarried Parents


Attribution No official data

Büchler/Simoni (NFP 52): 5.1% (28/567 divorces, Zurich &

Basel)

Other results: Mothers happier with JC More contact between children and fathers with JC Wealthy fathers had 2x more JC High education more JC Paid work with shared physical custody:

26

0-50% 50-<100% 100%

Mothers 33.3% 61.1% 5.6%

Fathers 0% 42.8% 57.2%


Shared physical Custody

very rare

Lack of interest by authorities (no data)

No changes in on-going Revision

Big differences to neighbouring countries with same language

But: Acceptance that SPC is best solution for child if parents live

together (Bürgisser, NFP 52)

27

Switzerland Germany France Belgium

5.1 % 13% 12% 27.1%


Possible Reasons for Low Rate of Shared Physical Custody

Lack of possibilities (official argument)

“Care-Taker-Rights”

Lack of Regulation, Recognition and Knowledge

Strong Opposition

Agreements in the Shadow of the law?

28

29


Care-Takers-Right (Obhutsrechte; Droits de garde)

includes the right to decide:

who cares for child?

how is cared for the child?

where the child lives?

Is attributed to one parent only, unless consent of both parents

Share = Loss of privileges

?Compatibility with Case Law of ECHR?

But: Possible problems if no regulation in maintenance Law

F. Conclusion

Shared physical Custody…

…is in the best interest of the child

…is the ideal solution for most children concerned

…gives the care-taker more independence and makes him happy

…corresponds to the share of parental tasks before divorce

…is protected by human rights of the child and the parents

…is accepted by the population

There should be regulation and public information

For useful measures concerning other aspects of the child’s best

interest check for “Die Cochemer Praxis”

30

31

Questions?

32

Thank you!

joint custody & shared physical custody in switzerland martin widrig

Documents

divorce behavior

shared physical custody

physical custody conclusion

single person households

family work

number of divorces

average duration of

mutual consentb