Child custody definitions

Your pregnant daughter may need to formally define the legal custody and physical custody of her child.   Legal custody is the authority to make decisions about the child. Physical custody is the physical care of the child. Some States merge these ideas together, but some states keep them separate.

Building a Parenting Agreement That Works: Child Custody Agreements Step by Step (by Mimi Lyster Zemmelman) explains that in States where legal and physical custody are separate concepts, you may have the following situations:

1. Sole legal and physical custody: one parent has the decision-making responsibility, and the child spends most of their time with that parents.
2. Shared legal and sole physical custody: both parents must share decision-making responsibility, but the child spends most of their time with one parent.
3. Shared legal custody and shared physical custody: both parents must share decision-making responsibility, and the child must spend fairly equal time with both parents.

You may also find it helpful to read the chapter "Where does the baby's father belong in all of this?" in our book "How To Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy".

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