Questions You Want Answered > Child Custody and Support > What is legal custody?
Legal custody is the ability to make important decisions impacting the life of a child. AWhen both parents are together, either married or not. both have equal rights to make decisions concerning a child's education, welfare, care, religion, discipline, and medical treatment. When parents are no longer living together or ask for court involvement, the court can enter an order concerning legal custody. That custody can be sole, in which case only one parent is permitted by law to make legal custody decisions, or joint, in which case both parents need to agree and work together to make those decisions.
Last updated on February 3, 2011 by Karen Robbins, Attorney at Law