The care and control of a child by his or her parent or another party, awarded by a court.
The awarding of responsibility for the care, control and maintenance of a child, by the court, to one of the parents, or to both of the parents, as in joint custody.
Both parents must decide on custody of minor children under the age of 18. Physical custody relates to living with and supervising the children. Legal custody relates to the responsibility of making decisions relating to health, education, welfare and other significant decisions affecting the children. Both physical and legal custody can be sole or joint. See Child Custody for more information.
Legal authority to determine the care, supervision, and discipline of the child; when assigned to an individual or couple, includes physical care and supervision. Includes guardianship of the person of the minor such as may be awarded by a probate court.
Custody means: who your children live with, and who is responsible for your children (health care, education, etc.) One or both parents can have custody.
laws that determine who will have custody of the children following a divorce or separation.
The court's determination of who will be the child's primary care giver and make decisions for the child. Physical custody determines where the child will live and legal custody determines who will make decisions for the child's welfare.
Living arrangements and legal decision-making responsibilities concerning the child (See child support law summary for your state)
The court may choose to grant custody to one parent (sole custody) or both parents (joint custody) and parents are encouraged to agree on whatever custodial arrangement is in the best interest of their children. Custody has two parts: legal and physical. Legal custody is the decision-making part. Physical custody refers to where the child lives on a regular basis. It can be one of the most difficult areas of a divorce to negotiate.
The decision taken by a court who must determine to which parent goes the child under 18 years old
Child custody and guardianship are legal terms which are sometimes used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the parent to make decisions for the child, and the parent's duty to care for the child.