Custody orders can be sole to either parent or jointly to both. If there is no actual dispute over
any serious matter relating to the children’s upbringing, the Court can even make no orders on
custody.
The Court will usually order for joint custody as it usually considers it to be in the best interests
of the children to have both parents in their lives and co-parenting is strongly encouraged. Sole
custody will only be awarded on rare occasions, such as where there has been abuse of the
children by one parent or where the relationship of parties are so acrimonious that cooperation
is impossible even after mediation and counselling, and this lack of cooperation is harmful to
the children.