Child custody refers to the legal and hands-on relationship between a parent and a child and includes a parent’s right to raise, care for, and make decisions regarding residence, education, healthcare, and religious upbringing. Custody is a decision by the court as which parent will have the responsibility of the care, custody, and control of a child. Custody may be assigned to one parent, both parents, or in some cases a third party.
https://legaldictionary.net/child-custody/
There are essentially five (5) various types of custody:
- Legal Custody refers to a parent’s right to make long-term decisions about the child’s upbringing and well being, such as education and religious preferences.
- Physical Custody refers to the residence of the child; where the child will live and with whom.
- Sole Custody is when the court awards full custody (legal and physical) to one parent, most often in cases involving an abusive parent.
- Joint Custody is commonly awarded between divorced or unmarried parents, where the child divides their time between the two parental households with each parent being involved in making not only day-to-day decisions but also long-term decisions regarding the well-being of the child.
- Grandparent Visitation and Custody is commonly awarded if neither parent is capable of handling the care, custody, and control of the child. In these cases, the court will look to award custody to a family member, such as a grandparent. Oftentimes a grandparent seeks to be awarded visitation with the child. In this case, the court will consider the best needs of the child before awarding visitation; will it benefit the child to have regular visits with the grandparent.
https://family.findlaw.com/child-custody/types-of-child-custody.html
Click the link below to read the statute:
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleIII/Chapter208/Section28
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