Family Law - Type of Child Custody

[emma holden]

When parents divorce, they have to decide where the child will live.
They also have to make decisions regarding the upbringing of the
child. Child custody laws describe the rights and responsibilities of
parents for their child.
Physical custody will generally describe who the child will live with.
The parent may agree on physical custody, or the court may order a
parenting plan. In general, a child will live primarily with one
parent. The parent would be considered as sole physical custody. The
other parent would be non-custodial parent. If the child lives equally
with both parents, the parents are said to have joint physical
custody.
Legal custody will generally describe the decision making on
upbringing of the child. In most cases, both parents will have joint
legal custody of the child. However, the court awards sole custody to
one of the parents in some cases.
Legal custody is very different from physical custody. For instance, a
parent with legal custody has the right to decide on the child's
medical care, dental care, education, and religion. However, the child
may or may not live with that parent. It is important for the parent
to understand the difference before making a request for legal
custody....

More About Custody: http://groups.google.com/group/custodyinfo