Divorce can be a tricky matter to handle when people have children. Parents may have to work out what custody rights they should have.
If you don’t know how child custody works, you may need to read the content below:
Physical custody
After divorce, children’s daily routines and care may need to be established. Physical custody is, simply put, parents’ rights and responsibilities to home their children. In addition, the parents will be required to clothe and feed their children and attend to their other daily needs, such as preparing them for school.
Legal custody
Parents may be awarded legal custody. Legal custody grants the privilege to determine how their children are raised or their long-term needs. For example, parents with legal custody may decide who attends their children’s school meetings, what medical decisions are best for them or if they should have a religious upbringing.
Joint custody
It’s typical for parents to split custody rights in a joint custody plan. In this arrangement, parents may work together to determine when and where their children will live and visitation times. Long-term decisions, such as medical care and religious upbringing, may also be discussed between parents.
Sole custody
When a parent is given sole custody, then they have full custody of their children. The parent awarded sole custody would be responsible for any physical or legal decisions. Sole custody may be rare and only given when it’s determined that the other parent is “unfit.” That parent without any custody rights may still be given visitation rights, which may be supervised.
Determining children’s best interests
Custody is often awarded after determining children’s best interests. Most courts believe that a joint custody plan is best for children and gives each parent the privilege to be a part of their children’s lives. In some cases, if it’s believed that a child is endangered under the care of one parent, then the other parent may be given sole custody. There are a lot of factors when determining the best interests of children.
If you’re going through a divorce and working on a parenting plan, then you may need to learn about your legal options.
