NEW MISSISSIPPI LAW EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026: JOINT CUSTODY

Effective July 1, 2026, pursuant to House Bill 1662, under Section 93-5-244, Mississippi

law now provides a rebuttable presumption in favor of joint custody with equal parenting

time in all custody matters. Meaning, the burden is now on a parent to prove why a

court should not award equal parenting time, which deviates from prior law wherein a

parent had the burden to prove why equal parenting time is in a minor child’s best

interest.

Given that this law was put into effect a just a short time ago, the issue has not been

highly litigated, but stay tuned for how courts interpret and apply this new presumption.