Creates the rebuttable presumption that joint legal custody and shared placement is in the best interest of the child and create a mechanism in constructing a parenting plan should the court deviate from equal parenting time.

Rhode Island Bill Summary: Shared Parenting Presumption

This bill would change how Rhode Island family courts approach child custody decisions during divorce or separation cases. Currently, judges have broad discretion to decide custody arrangements based on what they determine is best for each child. This bill would create a "rebuttable presumption" — meaning courts would start from the assumption that joint legal custody and equal, shared parenting time is in the best interest of the child, unless someone provides evidence to prove otherwise.

Under this bill, both parents would be presumed to have an equal right to make important decisions about their child's life (legal custody) and to spend roughly equal time with their child (shared placement). If a judge wants to give one parent more time or authority than the other, they would need a specific reason to do so — and the bill would establish a formal process for building a parenting plan that explains and accounts for any such deviation from equal time.

This bill primarily affects divorcing or separating parents with children, as well as family court judges, attorneys, and child custody mediators in Rhode Island. Parents who might currently receive less than 50/50 time with their children could see their share of parenting time increase under this framework. It could also affect situations involving concerns about domestic violence, substance abuse, or other factors that courts currently weigh when dividing custody.

The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and is scheduled for a hearing in April 2026. It has not yet been passed into law.