Two kinds of custody
Legal custody is the right to make major decisions about a child's life — schooling, medical care, religion. Physical custody is where the child lives. Most modern custody orders share legal custody and split physical custody on some schedule.
The best-interest standard
Courts in every state apply some version of the best-interest-of-the-child standard. Factors include the child's age, each parent's history of caregiving, stability of each home, and, in many states, the child's own preference at a certain age.
Building a parenting plan
A good parenting plan covers the regular schedule, holidays, school breaks, transportation, communication rules, and how disputes get resolved. The more detail upfront, the fewer fights later.
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