If you’re in the middle of getting a divorce, you may have trouble working out to do with the kids.
Understanding the different custody options is important for moving forward. Keep reading to find out all about the different types of child custody.
Legal Custody
Legal custody is when a parent or guardian has the ability to make legal decisions about a child’s present and future. Parents with legal custody will decide where the children attend school, for example.
Those with legal custody can also make decisions about a child’s medical needs and any treatments that might be required. The parent with legal custody will choose what type (if any) religion your children are raised to follow. If you’re in the middle of a child custody battle, legal custody is likely the first thing you’ll have to discuss.
Physical Custody
Physical custody is when your child lives where you choose on a regular basis. Physical child custody essentially determines how much time your child or children spend with each parent, if any. In some cases, parents may have joint legal custody, but one parent may have sole physical custody.
This is usually done in cases where that parent lives and works in a different area, and it may require too much commuting to have the children involved move back and forth on an everyday basis.
You may also have supervised physical custody. This is where one parent may see their child, but will have a designated third party present to supervise the situation. This is usually done in cases where one parent has criminal charges, abuse allegations, or hasn’t previously spent a lot of time with their children.
Sole Custody
If only one parent or guardian has custody over a child, it’s called sole custody. You may have sole legal custody, sole physical custody, or both.
There’s a common school of thought that most courts award sole custody to the mother in cases where there’s a dispute, but that’s actually not true. The vast majority of custody cases in the United States are settled out of court, and in most cases where the mother receives full custody the father volunteers to give them custody.
Shared Custody
Like its name, shared custody is where both parents share custody of their children. You may have shared legal custody, shared physical custody, or both. In some of these custody cases, depending on the age of your child, the judge or mediator may take the child’s opinion into consideration when deciding on the specifics of your shared custody agreement.
If you’re looking for an uncontested divorce, you’ll likely end up with a shared custody situation. to start working towards your uncontested divorce today.
Types of Child Custody: Now You Know
Hopefully, now that you understand the types of child custody, you should be able to figure out what works for you.
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