Joint Custody of a Child
If you’re going through a divorce or have recently gone through a divorce you are probably overwhelmed with the technical terms and legal lingo. When dealing with issues of child custody, there should be absolutely no confusion. As a parent, you should be clear on everything that is happening in your case. If you are working with an attorney it’s their job to help you through this process but the fact is that they are not always the most helpful. It is the job of you and your co-parent to keep yourselves informed, especially in the case of joint custody of a child.
Joint custody is a term that typically gets thrown out a lot when dealing with custody of a child. It is important to know the basics of child custody and the different types that must be awarded in order to get a good understanding of the subject. A parenting plan must define how physical custody and legal custody will be awarded to the co-parents. Joint custody of a child must encompass both of these areas of custody.
Physical Custody
Physical custody is defined as the day-to-day care of a child. Physical custody is also used to determine the primary residence of a child, or where a child will live. A co-parent with physical custody of their child has the right to have the child live with them primarily. This co-parent is seen as the primary custodial parent.
Legal Custody
Legal custody is defined as the decision-making responsibilities for a child. These decisions are typically regarding the upbringing of the child. This includes decisions regarding education, religion, medical care, and other important aspects of the child’s life.
Joint Custody of a Child
Co-parents are typically encouraged to determine their custody agreement outside of court. It is usually seen as being in the best interest of the child if both of the co-parents can come to an agreement on custody. In most states across the country a family court judge will be in favor of joint custody of a child. Most family court professionals see joint custody of a child as being in the best interest of a child since both co-parents are making an effort to parent the child. Joint custody of a child is defined as both co-parents sharing the decision-making responsibilities for, and/or physical custody of the child. This means that joint custody can be applied to each of the two types of custody that were previously mentioned, or both. Joint legal custody simply means that both co-parents share the decision-making responsibilities for the child. Joint physical custody simply means that both co-parents are seen as the primary custodial parent of the child and the child spends time at both houses. It is common for co-parents who have joint custody of a child to share physical custody of their child, but not necessarily legal custody. A family court judge will often determine that one co-parent is better fit to have legal custody of the child over the other.
After determining the type of custody that will be awarded, it is time to start creating and defining your parenting plan. If you are implementing joint custody of a child you must coordinate with your co-parent to determine what schedule and arrangements work best for you. The OurFamilyWizard website® is dedicated to providing co-parents with the tools and resources they need to easily manage their custody agreements. For more information on how the OurFamilyWizard website® can help with joint custody of a child, please visit the Child Custody and Divorced Parenting page for more information.
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