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Is Sole Custody A Good Choice For Your Family?

by Gene Vasquez

When parents divorce, they must make some decisions that can impact their lives for a very long time. Decisions about minor children are among the most difficult to make. Not all parents are suited for every custody choice, but sole custody might be the right one for your family. Read on to find out what you need to know about custody in general and sole custody in particular.

Two Ways to Look at Custody

Parenting plans offer an array of choices for parents, but the two basic divisions are legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody refers to the parent having legal responsibility for a child, and physical custody is a choice in living arrangements – it's where the child resides the majority of the time. Almost all parents are awarded legal custody of the child – barring incarceration or other situations. A parent that is judged unfit to parent, for example, might not be awarded legal custody of a child. The other parent (or someone else) would then be awarded both physical and legal custody. By far, one of the most popular ways to handle custody is for both parents to share legal custody, with one parent being the sole physical custodian. The non-custodial parent is usually provided with visitation that may be as open or rigid as desired.

What to Know About Sole Physical Custody

Keeping a child in one residence except for visitation is favored by so many because it's the simplest plan to follow. With shared physical custody, the child might need to move back and forth between the parent's homes numerous times a week or month. This sort of plan might be best for older children, but younger children are often more settled and secure staying with one parent in one place. They can be near their friends, their neighborhood is familiar, and they have all their belongings. With divorce being naturally disruptive, sole physical custody adds an element of security for the child.

Visitation Issues With Sole Custody

In most cases, parents can come to an agreement on visitation, and having a set schedule can be beneficial to both parents and the child. Parents should take care to create a visitation plan that is easy to follow and is fair to everyone. In many cases, the non-custodial parent uses the child's school schedule as a guideline when visiting. That might mean weekends, school holidays, and summer vacation are used to provide the non-custodial parent with visitation.

Speak to a divorce lawyer to learn more.

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