If you’re going through the divorce process, if you have at least one child with your former spouse, you’ll want to learn as much as possible about the many types of child custody.
Before we go any further, remember this: Shared custody is the most common arrangement. Even so, there are times when the court grants one parent sole custody of a child.
Here are a few things you should know about sole custody:
— With sole custody, one parent has exclusive legal and physical custody rights. This means that the person is 100 percent responsible for making decisions regarding the child.
— The parent who has sole custody does not have to consult with the other parent when making decisions, such as those related to child care or education.
— Sole custody is typically awarded when one parent is considered unfit. An example of this would be if the person has a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
— Even when one parent is granted sole custody, it doesn’t mean that the other parent has no right to see the child. This individual could be granted visitation rights by the court.
If you’re faced with divorce, if you have reason to believe that sole custody is the best situation for your child, you need to formulate a plan that will allow you to convey this to the court. There is no guarantee that the court will award you sole custody, but there are steps you can take to improve the likelihood of this happening as your divorce moves forward.
Source: FindLaw, “Sole Custody,” accessed March 15, 2017
