Know the Laws: California
UPDATED July 29, 2008
WomensLaw.org strongly recommends that you get in touch with a lawyer in your community for more information on custody. Go to the CA Where to Find Help page for a listing of organizations that can help.
- General Information
- Definitions
- Who can get custody and visitation?
- How does the custody process work?
- After an Order is in Place
General Information
back to topWhat is custody?
When the court issues a custody order, it will address these two parts of custody:
Physical custody is the physical care and supervision of a child (under 1 8 years of age). In other words, it’s who lives with the child on a day-to-day basis.
Legal custody is the right to make major decisions about your child, like where your child goes to school, what kind of health care s/he receives, or what kind of religious training s/he attends.