In terms of child custody, there are a lot of different terms you might hear throughout the process of your divorce, and it is important to understand what each term means so you can make the right decisions. Here are some of the different custody options and terms you should understand as you proceed with a divorce:
Legal Custody
Legal custody is a term used to refer to the rights a parent has to make decisions on behalf of a child. In divorce cases, both parents often end up with legal custody rights to the children, which means that they can both access the child's information and make decisions relating to the child. When a parent loses legal custody rights to their child, this parent would not be able to find things out, such as school or medical records, and would not be able to make any decisions for the child.
Physical Custody
Physical custody is a term that is used to describe which parent has physical rights to the child. In other words, the parent that receives physical custody is the parent that the child will live with. This does not mean that the child cannot see the other parent or spend the night with him or her, but it does mean that the child primarily lives with the parent who has physical custody.
Sole Custody
Sole custody is a term that is used to describe a situation when one of the parents has custodial rights to the kids while the other does not. Typically, the parent that the kids live with is the parent that has sole custody. This just means that the kids primarily live with this parent, and that this parent is the one who does the majority of the work related to the kids.
Joint Custody
Joint custody is a term that is used to describe the situation when both parents have physical custodial rights to the kids. This is the most common type of custody used in divorces, and it is the preferred option as it is often the best situation for the kids. Parents with joint custody share the duties and responsibilities of the kids, and the kids might live with both parents an equal amount of time.
Knowing what these terms mean is important when making decisions about the custody of your children. If you have further questions, contact a family attorney like Jacobs & Barbone P A.
