Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Sole custody is when only one parent takes care of a child after their parents separate or divorce. This means that the child lives with one parent most of the time and the other parent only gets to visit. The parent who has sole custody also gets to make important decisions about the child's life without having to ask the other parent for permission.
Sole custody is a legal arrangement that happens when parents of a child separate or divorce. It means that only one parent has the right to make important decisions about the child's welfare, health, and upbringing. This parent is called the custodial parent and they have physical custody of the child, which means the child lives with them most or all of the time. The other parent, called the noncustodial parent, usually has visitation rights that are determined by the court.
These examples illustrate how sole custody works. In the first example, the mother has physical custody of the child and the right to make important decisions about the child's life. The father has visitation rights, but he does not have the same level of control over the child's life as the mother. In the second example, the father has sole custody because the mother is unable to care for the child. This means that the father has the right to make all decisions about the child's life without consulting the mother.