Mississippi's 50/50 Joint Custody Law (HB 1662) Takes Effect July 1, 2026

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1662 on April 8, 2026, and it takes effect July 1, 2026. The law creates a rebuttable presumption that joint custody with equally shared parenting time serves a child's best interest. It is not yet in force.

Information last verified on June 23, 2026. This is a developing story; we update it as the record changes.

Status: Signed by Governor Reeves on April 8, 2026; takes effect July 1, 2026. As of June 23, 2026 the law is not yet in force.

Jurisdiction scope: This explainer covers Mississippi custody and divorce matters under HB 1662 and Miss. Code Section 93-5-24. It does not describe the law of other states and is general legal information, not legal advice. See our child custody laws by state hub and our page on Mississippi child custody laws.

What Happened

Mississippi House Bill 1662, passed in the 2026 Regular Session, was signed by Gov. Tate Reeves on April 8, 2026. The Mississippi Legislature's official bill record lists the act as taking effect July 1, 2026.

The bill cleared both chambers with broad support. According to the legislative history on LegiScan, the House passed the measure on February 11, 2026, the Senate passed an amended version on March 5, 2026, and both chambers adopted the conference report at the end of March and on April 1, 2026 before the bill went to the Governor.

HB 1662 amends Section 93-5-24 of the Mississippi Code of 1972. The official summary states the act creates a rebuttable presumption in favor of joint custody with equal parenting time in all custody matters, makes that presumption rebuttable by a preponderance of the evidence, provides for the calculation of child support where the court awards equally shared parenting time, and requires a court to document its reasons for deviating from the presumption unless both parents petition for a deviation.

What the Law Actually Says

Mississippi courts decide custody under the "best interest of the child" standard, historically guided by the Albright factors. Before HB 1662, the statute did not start a contested case from an assumption of equal time. HB 1662 changes that starting point by writing a presumption into Section 93-5-24.

A rebuttable presumption is a legal default that the court must apply unless a party presents enough evidence to overcome it. Under HB 1662, the default is joint custody with equally shared parenting time, and the burden falls on the parent who wants a different arrangement. The official text sets the standard for overcoming that default at a preponderance of the evidence, meaning the deviation must be shown to be more likely than not appropriate.

The bill builds in accountability. A court that does not award equally shared parenting time must document the reasons for deviating from the presumption. There is a carve-out: upon petition of both parents, the court may grant custody to one parent without documenting a reason for deviation.

HB 1662 does not extend the equal-time presumption to abuse cases. The statute continues to contain a separate rebuttable presumption that it is detrimental and not in a child's best interest to place the child in the custody of a parent who has a history of perpetrating family violence. Under that provision a court may find such a history, by a preponderance of the evidence, on one incident of family violence resulting in serious bodily injury or on a pattern of family violence. In practical terms, a documented family-violence finding points the presumption against the offending parent rather than toward equal time. These details are described as of June 23, 2026 based on the bill versions posted by the Mississippi Legislature.

The bill also addresses child support, which interacts with Mississippi divorce and alimony issues. Rather than discarding the state's guidelines, HB 1662 keeps the Section 43-19-101 framework and adds a comparative method for equally shared parenting time. As described in the official bill text, the court calculates a guideline award for each parent as if that parent were the obligor, subtracts the smaller award from the larger, and orders the higher-earning parent to pay the difference to the lower-earning parent. That approach accounts for both incomes and the equal-time split. For related topics, see our pages on Mississippi divorce laws and Mississippi alimony laws.

Analysis: Why This Matters

The following is analysis from the Recording Law Editorial Team.

Mississippi joins a group of states that have moved from a pure best-interest inquiry toward a statutory presumption of shared parenting time. The significance of HB 1662 is structural: it changes where a custody case begins rather than dictating where any case ends. By placing the burden on the parent seeking unequal time, the law reframes the question a Mississippi court asks at the outset.

The family-violence provision is the counterweight that lawmakers built in. Keeping a separate presumption against custody for a parent with a documented history of perpetrating family violence is consistent with how other shared-parenting states have tried to reconcile a 50-50 default with safety. The two presumptions operate in different directions, and which one governs depends on the record in a given case.

The child-support change is easy to overstate. HB 1662 does not abolish Mississippi's guidelines; it layers a comparative calculation on top of Section 43-19-101 for the equal-time scenario. How that math affects any household depends on the two incomes and the parenting schedule, so we make no prediction about outcomes in individual cases.

How This Affects You

This section is general information for parents with custody or divorce matters in Mississippi. It is not advice about any specific case.

After July 1, 2026, a Mississippi parent who wants more than half of the parenting time should expect the court to begin from a presumption of equal time. A presumption is a starting point, not a guarantee. It can be rebutted with evidence under the preponderance standard, and the statute requires the court to explain a deviation in writing unless both parents agree to it.

Parents with safety concerns should be aware that the statute keeps a separate presumption tied to a documented history of perpetrating family violence. Anyone weighing how the new comparative child-support method might apply, or how the presumption interacts with their facts, should consult a licensed Mississippi family-law attorney rather than rely on a general explainer.

What Happens Next

HB 1662 takes effect July 1, 2026. The Mississippi Legislature's record sets that date, and the practical trigger for the law becoming operational is simply the arrival of the effective date. Reporting and the bill versions indicate the presumption governs custody and divorce matters under Section 93-5-24 going forward; cases already pending under the prior standard are generally handled under the law in place when filed, though how courts treat in-progress matters can vary. We note that as of June 23, 2026 the law is signed but not yet in force.

We will watch for any implementing guidance from Mississippi courts, updated child-support worksheets reflecting the comparative method, and the first appellate decisions interpreting the new presumption. Those would help settle open questions about how trial courts document deviations. For a parallel example of a state reworking its support math, see California's child support overhaul.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and covers Mississippi custody and divorce matters only. It was verified on June 23, 2026 and describes a law that takes effect July 1, 2026. For guidance on your situation, consult a licensed Mississippi attorney.

Sources

• Mississippi Legislature, HB 1662 (As Sent to Governor), 2026 Regular Session: https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/1600-1699/HB1662SG.htm
• Mississippi Legislature, HB 1662 (As Passed the House), 2026 Regular Session: https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/1600-1699/HB1662PS.htm
• Mississippi Legislature, HB 1662 (As Introduced), 2026 Regular Session: https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/1600-1699/HB1662IN.htm
• Mississippi Legislature, HB 1662 Conference Report, 2026 Regular Session: https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/cr/HB1662CR.pdf
• LegiScan, Mississippi HB1662 bill page and history, 2026 Regular Session: https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/HB1662/2026

Related articles

• child custody laws by state
• Mississippi child custody laws
• Mississippi divorce laws
• Mississippi alimony laws
• California's child support overhaul

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Last updated: 2026-06-23. This is a developing story; details verified as of 2026-06-23.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Mississippi HB 1662 take effect?

Governor Reeves signed HB 1662 on April 8, 2026, and the Mississippi Legislature record sets the effective date as July 1, 2026. As of June 23, 2026 the law is signed but not yet in force.

Does Mississippi now require 50/50 custody?

No. HB 1662 creates a rebuttable presumption of joint custody with equally shared parenting time, not a mandate. The court starts from equal time but can order a different arrangement if the presumption is overcome.

Is the equal-time rule a guarantee or a presumption?

It is a presumption. A presumption is a legal starting point that the court applies unless a parent presents enough evidence to rebut it by a preponderance of the evidence under Section 93-5-24.

Who has the burden if a parent wants unequal time?

The parent seeking more than half of the parenting time carries the burden of rebutting the equal-time presumption, and the court must document the reasons for any deviation unless both parents petition for one.

What about cases involving domestic violence?

HB 1662 preserves a separate rebuttable presumption against awarding custody to a parent with a documented history of perpetrating family violence, which points away from equal time in those cases. A court may find such a history by a preponderance of the evidence.

Does HB 1662 change Mississippi child support?

For equally shared parenting time, the bill keeps the Section 43-19-101 guidelines but adds a comparative method: the court computes a guideline award for each parent, subtracts the smaller from the larger, and the higher earner pays the difference. The effect on any household depends on the incomes involved.

Does the new law apply to my pending case?

The law takes effect July 1, 2026 and applies going forward. How a court treats a matter already filed under the prior standard can vary, so confirm with a licensed Mississippi attorney.