In joint legal custody, both parents of a child share major decision making regarding for example education, medical care and religious upbringing.
[5] In joint legal custody, both parents share decision-making rights with regard to matters that may have a significant impact on their children's lives, such as where a child should attend school, the choice of a primary care physician or therapist for the child, and medical treatments.
In a comparative survey from 2005/06, covering children ages 11 to 15, it was highest in Sweden with 17% and lowest in Turkey and Ukraine with only 1%.
[11] Studies suggest that joint custody may significantly contribute to a child's wellbeing, with lower rates of mental health issues and substance abuse, better school performance, better physical health and better family relationships as compared to children in households where one parent has sole physical custody.
[12] On the whole, studies show that children experience better outcomes in joint custody arrangements and where they have good access to both parents.
[12] Joint custody has not legally recognized in Japan[14] until 2024, when a new law was passed introducing that concept, to be applied from 2026.
[15][20] It is estimated that one in three children in Japan, after divorce, loose contact with the non-custodial parent, a much higher proportion than in most other countries.