When a couple with kids breaks up or gets divorced, one of the most important things to decide is who will take care of the kids. Custody means a person has the legal right to care for, control, and raise a child. There are two main kinds of custody: joint custody and sole custody. Many people think having custody means having the right to decide where a child lives. Custody, on the other hand, has many different parts. It includes legal custody (the authority to make important decisions about the child’s upbringing, education, and health) and physical custody (the authority to decide where the child lives). In this article, we’ll talk about five ways sole and joint custody differ.
Difference In Sole Custody And Joint Custody
- Definition
Joint custody is a type of child custody in which both parents have legal and physical responsibility for the child. This means that both parents have the same power to make decisions for the child, and the child spends a lot of time with each parent. Sole custody, however, means that only one parent has legal and physical custody of the child, while the other parent has the right to see the child.
- Power to Make Decisions
The right to make decisions is one of the most important differences between joint and sole custody. In joint custody, both parents have the same power to make decisions. This means they must work together to make decisions about the child’s education, health care, and religion, among other things. In sole custody, on the other hand, the parent who has the child has the sole right to make these decisions without talking to the other parent.
- Spending time with the child
The time the child spends with each parent is another big difference between joint and sole custody. In joint custody, the child spends much time with both parents, usually at least 35% of the time with each parent. In sole custody, however, the child mostly lives with one parent, and the other can see the child at certain times. Depending on the custody agreement, the amount of time the child spends with the parent who does not have custody can vary.
- How Parents Talk to Each Other
For joint custody to work, parents must be able to talk to each other. In joint custody, parents must talk to each other well and decide how to raise the child. This can be hard if the parents have trouble getting along. In sole custody, on the other hand, the custodial parent is the only one who makes decisions about the child’s upbringing, and the non-custodial parent usually only talks to the custodial parent about visitation.
- Getting Rid Of Conflicts
Another important difference between sole and joint custody is how conflicts are handled. In joint custody, both parents must work together to settle any disagreements about how to raise the child. This can be hard if the parents have different ideas about how to raise a child or different values. In sole custody, on the other hand, the parent who has the child has the final say in making decisions. Disputes with the parent who doesn’t have the child can be solved through legal means, such as mediation or court intervention.
Conclusion
In conclusion, joint custody and sole custody are two different types of childcare arrangements that are very different in how decisions are made, how much time the child spends with each parent, how parents talk to each other, and how problems are solved. Both types of custody have pros and cons, and the best type for a given family depends on their specific situation. Parents must work together to develop a custody plan in their child’s best interest.
