Child Parents Custody Physical Types Legal Live Lives

Today there are many types of "custody arrangements" for "couples" (pairs; groups of two people) who have children but have never been married or who have been divorced.

"Physical custody" means that a parent has the legal "right" (ability to have or do something) for the child to live with him or her. If both parents have the right to live with the child and they "alternate" (take turns), the arrangement is referred to as "joint physical custody." If instead the child lives with one parent, but the other parent has "visitation rights" (permission to spend time with the child for short periods of time), then the parent who lives with the child is said to have "sole physical custody."

"Legal custody" describes a parent's right to make decisions for the child, such as where the child will go to school or what kind of medical care the child will receive. In most cases, courts try to award "joint" (shared) physical and legal custody, because most people think joint custody is "in the best interest of" (most beneficial for) the child. However, if the lawyers can prove that one parent is "unfit" (not able to serve as an appropriate parent), the court may award sole custody. Parents who are "deemed" (determined) to be unfit usually suffer from addiction or have a history of child abuse or "neglect" (not taking care of a child).

Joint custody can be very challenging, because the parents must "work out" (agree upon) a schedule for when the child will be with each parent. Some parents try to make things easier by using "bird's nest custody" where the family has a home where the child stays all the time, and the parents move in and out between that home and their own home.