Types of Child Custody

Divorce is hard for everyone. Whether it was your choice or not, your whole life is going to change. If you have children, it can be even worse. Their lives are going to change also. 

Many times, they will need to move out of the only home that they ever knew. They may have to move into a smaller home (or even an apartment). It can be devastating, especially if they have to change schools. They may be worried about losing their friends. They may even be worried about what their friends are going to think. 

Because of this, it is your job to make sure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible. Even though you may not want to give up your children, you should really consider what is best for your child when it comes to custody.

However, before you decide what is best for your child, you need to know all about the types of child custody.

Physical custody determines which parent the children get to live with. However, there are different types of physical custody. 

Joint physical custody basically means that both parents share custody of their children. This is often the best thing for most children, especially when parents live close together. The children get to spend time with both of their parents and don't have to feel like they are missing out. 

If you want to read more about why joint physical custody is important, you can check out my article about it here.

That being said, joint custody isn't always possible. There are times when only one parent has sole physical custody of the children. This may be because one parent works too hard to keep the children regularly. It is also common when one is not fit to be a parent. If one parent has been abusive to the children, he or she may not get to spend much time with the children.

Here is an article for when joint custody isn't the right option for your children.

That being said, just because you don't have joint physical custody doesn't mean you won't get to spend time with your children. You should be granted visitation rights. 

There are many different types of visitation. If one parent is worried about their children with the other parent, they may request monitored visitation. You may also be allowed visits on certain days or on the weekend. Some visitations are overnight, depending on the arrangement. 

When it comes time to figure out a visitation schedule, you need to think about what is best for the children. You are going to have to look at everyone's work schedule and figure out who can take care of the children and when. You might have more time for them during the week, though it may work best if you take care of them on the weekend. 

Some parents allow their children to stay in the home, and they just take turns living there with them. When it is not their turn with the children, they have somewhere else that they can stay.

If you want to learn more, here are some tips to help you stay in your children's lives even if you aren't awarded full physical custody.

Legal custody is completely different. If you have legal custody, you get to make all of the decisions about your children. This means that you can decide how you want them brought up, as well as what school they will attend. You are going to be in charge of making any medical decisions, and much more. 

Most of the time, joint legal custody is awarded, allowing both parents to make the decisions about their children. However, there are times when only one parent is able to make these decisions. This is called sole legal custody.

No matter what custody is agreed on, the sooner that you can get along with your ex, the better off your children will be. You don't want them to have to worry about hurting your feelings if they want to spend time with their other parent. 

You will also want to work together to ensure that both parents can spend the time they want with their children. If you have a special party to go to, you are going to want to be able to take the children, even if it isn't your time with them. You should do the same for your ex.

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Previously published on Medium.