Types of Child Custody
Key Custody Types: Legal vs. Physical
Child custody disputes can be challenging, but understanding the different types of custody is the first step in protecting your child's well-being. Georgia law recognizes multiple custody arrangements, each affecting parental rights and responsibilities. Here's what you need to know.
Legal Custody
What is Legal Custody? The right to make major decisions about a child's upbringing, including education, healthcare, and religious practices.
Types:
- Joint Legal Custody - Both parents share decision-making responsibilities.
- Sole Legal Custody - One parent has exclusive authority over major decisions.
Example: In joint legal custody, both parents must agree on the child's school choice. In sole legal custody, one parent makes that decision independently.
Physical Custody
What is Physical Custody? Determines where the child primarily resides.
Types:
- Joint Physical Custody - The child spends substantial time with both parents, in roughtly a 50/50 manner.
- Sole Physical Custody - The child lives primarily with one parent, while the other has visitation rights.
- Shared Custody - A true 50/50 split, requiring a high level of cooperation between parents.
Legal Custody
Courts typically award both parents joint legal decision making for their children. That said, Georgia law requires a court to designate one party as the final decision maker for each of the major life decisions concerning the child.
Health Care
Education
Extracurricular Activities
Religion
Health and non-emergency medical care
Education
Extracurricular Activities
Religion
Why Choose Meriwether & Tharp, LLC?
Personalized Custody Planning - We assess your situation to recommend the best custody arrangement for your child's needs.
Thorough Document Preparation - We draft clear, enforceable agreements to help prevent future disputes.
Georgia Family Law Expertise - Our deep knowledge of Georgia's custody laws, including statutory factors under GA Code § 19-9-3, allows us to build strong cases for our clients.
Let us help you navigate this process with confidence and clarity!