You can order the book, published by Little, Brown and Company, from our online store . There is no single definition of what is meant by this very broad concept. It is tied to the facts of each specific situation and allows a judge to do what he or she thinks is best for a child based on the particular circumstances.
Custody can be either sole or joint.
In the past, it was common for a mother to receive sole legal and physical custody, thereby pretty much shutting fathers out of the parenting process once a divorce occurred. However, the recent trend is towards joint legal custody, so that both parents have an equal involvement in the major life decisions affecting their child, regardless of who has physical custody. Sole legal custody is becoming less common, and most courts prefer to keep both parents actively involved in their children's lives unless there is a very good reason why they should not be. One such good reason would be abuse or neglect. Since joint legal custody doesn't usually mean that the children live half the time with one parent and half with the other, it is necessary to work out a schedule of visitation that will be incorporated into the final divorce order.