If you were a paralegal working on a child custody case, you would first have to know which factors play a part in child custody decisions in your state. Custody decisions are made on the basis of the "best interests of the child" - for a good explanation of this concept, see: Focusing on the "Best Interests" of the Child. State statutes on child custody include factors similar to those listed in this article regarding the child's best interest, as does the "Illinois Best Interest of the Child Statute" set forth in Application 1 in Chapter 8.

Source:Focusing on the "Best Interests" of the Child: FindLaw. Retrieved fromhttp://family.findlaw.com/child-custody/focusing-on-the-best-interests-of-the-child.html.

How do these "best interest of the child" statutes, which require judges to make findings based on the factors listed in the statute, prevent gender bias from playing a role in a judge's custody decision?