Determining a living situation for your child after divorce is very important. This is typically done through a physical child custody arrangement. Parents can often find custody solutions on their own, or the court can rule, specifying when parents need to make exchanges and how much time each parent gets to physically live with the child.
But legal child custody is also an important area to consider, and it goes well beyond where the child is going to live or which parent will be in the house with them at the time. Instead, legal custody focuses on ways that parents guide a child’s life and make important decisions for them.
What types of decisions do parents make?
Overall, legal custody addresses decision-making abilities, specifying whether one parent can unilaterally make a decision or if they need to cooperate with the co-parent and make a joint decision. There are many different things that can fall under this agreement, but common areas include:
- Choosing a pediatrician
- Authorizing medical care
- Choosing a school
- Selecting a daycare or a babysitter
- Opening financial accounts
As long as children are minors, they cannot make certain decisions on their own, so parents need to do so on their behalf. As such, clearly defining legal custody rights is necessary to help parents know who can make those decisions and how they need to approach them as their child gets older.
This can sometimes lead to conflict, which is when parents need to be sure that they are well aware of all the legal steps they can take to seek a resolution.