2013/02/01 by René Böheim, Marco Francesconi, Böheim, René +3
Social Sciences · #Family Dynamics and Relationships #Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics #Work-Family Balance Challenges
paper · pdf · doi:10.57938/e99c0914-2071-404d-858b-dddf6484585e
openalex publication_date 2013/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
We examine the effect of joint custody on marriage, divorce, fertility and female employment in Austria using individual-level administrative data, covering the entire population. <br/>We also use unique data obtained from court records to analyze the effect on post-divorce outcomes. <br/>Our estimates show that joint custody significantly reduces divorce and female employment rates, significantly increases marriage and marital birth rates, <br/>and leads to a substantial increase in the total money transfer received by mothers after divorce. <br/>We interpret these results as evidence against Becker-Coase bargains and in support of a mechanism driven by a resource redistribution that favors men giving them greater incentives to invest in marriage specific capital.