Recent research has shown that over 90% of all child custody cases are settled without extensive legal involvement. In most of these situations, the divorcing parents have been able to work together to develop a mutually agreeable custody arrangement, which is then briefly reviewed and formally executed by the custody court. However, in relatively small number of disputed and highly contentious cases, full custody trials are deemed to be necessary I order to identify the best interests of the child and develop a custody and visitation schedule that is most likely to protect the child