Divorce lawyers often have to explain child custody because many parents in Chicago say they want custody without knowing exactly what it is. For simplicity’s sake, child custody can be separated into four categories:
- Sole residential custody – the child lives with only one parent.
- Joint residential custody – the child lives at both parent's home (for example, one week with Mom and one week with Dad).
- Sole legal custody – only one parent makes all the decisions as to the child’s medical care, education, religion, after-school activities…etc.
- Joint legal custody – both parents must come to an agreement as before any major decision is made about the child’s medical care, education and religion…etc.
Many parents choose to mix and match sole and joint legal custody. For example, parents may agree that they will make joint decisions as to the child’s education but only one parent will have the final say as to the child's religion. On the other hand, most parents choose sole physical custody for their child because they believe that the stability of living in only one home provides the best environment for the child's development.
