What is Custody?
Custody refers to “Legal Decision-MakingThis is the right to make decisions on behalf of the child when it comes to decisions involving the child’s health, education, religion, or personal care. It does not include the right to dictate the child’s parenting time schedule or place conditions on the other parent’s time.…Read more about Legal Decision-Making and Parenting TimeThis is what it sounds like—this is when it’s the parent’s time with the child(ren). See A.R.S § 25-401(5). Prior to 2012, it was known as physical custody.Read more about Parenting Time.” But, the term “custody” is actually no longer used in Arizona. In 2012, the Arizona Legislature passed, and Governor Brewer signed, a bill that renamed custody as “legal decision-making and parenting time.” The thought was that many parents fought over “custody” without understanding what it really meant, so the Legislature reasoned if they made terms more descriptive of the rights involved, there would be less conflict over “custody.” So Legal Decision-MakingThis is the right to make decisions on behalf of the child when it comes to decisions involving the child’s health, education, religion, or personal care. It does not include the right to dictate the child’s parenting time schedule or place conditions on the other parent’s time.…Read more about Legal Decision-Making and Parenting TimeThis is what it sounds like—this is when it’s the parent’s time with the child(ren). See A.R.S § 25-401(5). Prior to 2012, it was known as physical custody.Read more about Parenting Time are descriptive terms. Legal decision-making means the right to make decisions on behalf of your child when it comes to major decisions in the areas of healthcare, education, religious, and Personal Care DecisionsA category of legal decision-making that has not yet been defined in the law. Generally, though, it is thought to include bigger decisions that impact a child’s life, such as whether they get an ear pierced or get a tattoo. It may include whether a child gets a smartphone or a…Read more about Personal Care Decisions. And “parenting time” means the schedule of when the child is with each parent.
