How important is the status quo in a courts custody decision?
Where the children appear to be well adjusted in their environment, courts are unlikely to disrupt an acceptable status quo in favor of an unknown alternative. The reason repeatedly given is “the importance of maintaining stability and continuity in a young child’s environment.” If all other things appear equal between the parents, maintaining the children’s stability is often stated as the dispositive factor. Courts will not hesitate to remove a child from an unstable environment, especially where it can be shown that the child is not thriving.
