
Table of Contents
- What Is Child Custody?
- What Are the Different Types of Child Custody Arrangements?
- What Is the Best Custody Arrangement for Your Situation?
- Who Makes Decisions for and about Your Children after You Separate?
- What Decisions Will You Need to Make for Your Children after Separation?
- Where Will Your Children Live after Separation?
- 5 Tips for Co-Parenting
- How to Discuss Changes of Circumstances after Your Separation Agreement Is Made
What Is Child Custody?
- Will one or both parents have full control over the children and be able to make decisions and care for their needs?
- Who will take care of the children on a daily basis?
- How will decisions about the children be made?
- How will disagreements be resolved?
- Where will the children live?
What Are the Different Types of Child Custody Arrangements?
Legal custody
Physical custody
Sole custody
Joint custody
Custody and visitation rights aren’t just for biological parents. A person who acted in place of a parent, such as a step-parent or a grandparent, can petition the court for these rights. However, this also means that this person could be held responsible for child support payments.
What Is the Best Custody Arrangement for Your Situation?
- The children’s overall well-being
- If one parent was the primary caregiver for the children in the past
- A parent’s ability to instruct, encourage, and discipline the children
- Which home or area the children currently live in
- The mental and physical health of a parent
- The child’s relationship with a parent
- A parent’s integrity and behavior
Who Makes Decisions for and about Your Children after You Separate?
- Joint decisions, meaning you and your ex-spouse would discuss and decide together
- Sole decisions, meaning you and your ex-spouse make your own decisions
- Divided decisions, meaning you make some decisions (for example, decisions about health care and school) and your ex-partner makes other decisions (for example, decisions about religion or culture)
What Decisions Will You Need to Make for Your Children after Separation?
Major decisions
- Education: Where will your children go to school?
- Health care: Will you and your ex-spouse attend your children’s doctor’s appointments together?
- Food:Is there anything your children are not allowed to eat?
- Religion or spiritual beliefs: Will your children follow certain religious or spiritual practices?
- Holidays: Where will your children celebrate certain holidays?
- Travel: What type of information will you provide to the other parent when traveling away from the home?
- Language:What language or second-language will your children speak?
- Culture: Will your children follow any cultural practices?
Day-to-day decisions
- What should the children eat for dinner?
- What time should the children go to bed?
- When should the children do their homework?
Where Will Your Children Live after Separation?
Moving to a New City, State, or Country with Your Children
5 Tips for Co-Parenting
1. Be thorough and specific
2. Don’t involve your children
3. Create and confirm your agreement using email instead of in person or by phone
4. Create consistency in your children’s lives
5. Agree to work together
How to Discuss Changes of Circumstances after Your Separation Agreement Is Made
- You lost or changed jobs or made less money than expected
- Your children’s extracurricular activities have changed and more support is required to pay for these activities
- Your children moved to a different residence such as from your home to your former spouse’s home
- Your children started university