Types of Child Custody
There are two types of custody granted by the court in the United States:
1. Physical Custody
A parent who has physical custody of their child is entitled to live with them. The court may also grant physical custody to a single parent. A parent seldom has exclusive physical custody of a child, though, unless the co-parent is deemed unsuitable by the court. Physical custody may also be divided equally between the parents, or the kid may spend most of their time living with one of them. In cases where a kid lives with one parent more frequently than the other, the primary residence of the child will typically be the parent’s house.
When deciding which parent should get physical custody of their child, courts take into account a number of factors, such as which parent has typically been the child’s primary caregiver, who has the means and support to best meet the child’s long-term emotional and physical needs, and who resides in the child’s current school district.
2. Legal Custody
The courts have to decide which parent should have legal custody of a child in addition to physical custody. The authority to make important choices about a child’s education, health, and religious upbringing is known as legal custody. As stated differently, it is the authority to decide legal issues pertaining to the kid. For instance, the parent or parents having legal custody have an option to determine:
- Where a kid will attend school?
- What kind of religious instruction has the youngster received?
- What kind of medical care does a youngster get?