After the courts in California issue a custody agreement, one parent will become the custodial parent and the other will be the noncustodial parent. The custodial parent has sole or primary legal and/or physical custody of the child based on the court order. The noncustodial parent may still have parental responsibilities, joint custody or child visitation rights, but he or she will not have primary custody. Understanding the difference between a custodial parent and noncustodial parent could help you comprehend and protect your rights. When both parents share custody of a child after a divorce, it is called a joint custody agreement. A judge can create many different versions of a custody order. For example, both parents could share legal and physical custody of a child, or the courts may grant physical custody to both parents but legal custody only to one. Your parental rights after divorce will depend on the specifics of the court order. If you have no parenting time or rights after divorce, the other parent will be the custodial parent. If you and your ex-spouse share custody, the parent with primary custody will also be the custodial parent. In general, the custodial parent will be the person who receives child support payments in a divorce case. Since the custodial parent has the child for the majority of the time, his or her childcare costs will be more significant than the noncustodial parent. With this in mind, the courts in California will typically award child support to the custodial parent. If you are the noncustodial parent, expect to pay your ex-spouse a monthly amount in child support until the child is 18 (or 19, in some circumstances).