What Are the Different Types of Child Custody Available to Parents?
Sharing children is a common event for parents that are no longer married, but choosing the right plan for sharing your kids is not always easy.
Are you and your former spouse trying to determine how to handle sharing your kids? If so, you might benefit by learning more about the types of child custody you can choose from.
There are just a few terms you’ll need to know as you begin deciding how to handle this decision.
Here is a guide that will help you understand the primary options for child custody arrangements.
Joint vs. Sole Custody
You can break the subject of child custody down to two main choices. The first choice is between joint custody and sole custody.
Joint custody is an arrangement where the parents share the children in terms of where they live. A couple with joint custody will both have the children stay with them regularly.
Joint custody is an option that works well when:
- The parents live near each other
- The kids spend a lot of time with both parents
- Both parents are highly involved with the children
Sole custody refers to when the kids are primarily with just one parent. The parent who has the children most of the time has full rights to them. The kids stay with this parent most of the time, and this parent makes the decisions for them.
Parents have rights, so you may want to learn more about your parental rights before choosing one route or the other.
Physical Custody vs. Legal Custody
The next primary part of child custody options is learning the difference between physical custody and legal custody.
Physical custody is a legal term that refers to who the children live with. You can have a situation where you both have physical custody of the kids. Courts call this joint physical custody.
You can also have a situation when just one parent has physical custody, and courts generally refer to this as sole physical custody.
Legal custody is the last term to understand. A parent with legal custody has the right to make decisions for the child. You can choose from one of two options with legal custody:
- Joint legal custody – If you both want to have the right to make legal decisions, you should aim for this option.
- Sole legal custody – If only one of you should have the right to make legal decisions, you should go after sole legal custody.
If you and your spouse are experiencing challenges trying to decide which way to go, contact Hague Law Offices, PLLC to speak to a lawyer about your situation.
Learn More About the Types of Child Custody
Hopefully, you have a better understanding of the primary types of child custody options available.
Before you and your ex-spouse determine the right route to take, research this subject more to find out as much as you can.
If you’re interested in finding more information on custody options, check out our blog for helpful articles on this topic.