CHILD CUSTODY
Legal Custody
The parent or parents with legal custody will make decisions concerning the child's or
children's health, safety, education, and welfare. One parent can make these decisions
alone, which is known as sole legal custody, or both parents may retain the right to make
these decisions, known as joint legal custody. Joint legal custody means both parents
cooperate on decision-making. Sole legal custody means only one parent can make
decisions and obtain information from the child's or children's school and doctor, for
example.

Physical Custody

Physical custody determines where the child or children will reside. Sole physical custody
means the child or children live with one parent and visit the other parent. Joint physical
custody means the child or children reside with both parents.


VISITATION
Unsupervised Visitation

Where parents do not share custody, the noncustodial parent is entitled to visitation with
the child or children. Visitation schedules may be determined by the parties where there is
no conflict. However, where conflict exists between the parents, it is generally advisable
to establish a visitation schedule that will be part of a court order.

Visitation plans should be specific in order to avoid potential conflicts and eliminate
confusion. In developing a specific visitation plan, parents should keep in mind that it can
be helpful to specify when visits will occur to make the plan more enforceable. For
example, if a parent will have the child or children every other weekend, it would be
helpful to define that as "alternating weekends beginning on September 30,2005." The
pick-up and drop-off times should also be specific, such as Friday at 3:00 p.m. to Sunday at
6:00 p.m.


Supervised Visitation

This option is used when the child's or children's safety and well-being require that visits
with the other parent be supervised by another adult, or a professional agency. In extreme
situations the court may order that no visitation be permitted by the noncustodial parent
because contact with the parent would be physically or emotionally harmful to the child.
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