WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

Legal Information: Mississippi

Custody

Updated: 
December 19, 2023

What is custody?

Custody is the legal responsibility for the care and control of your child who is under 18 years of age. The court may give custody of your child to one or both parents. There are two types of custody: legal and physical.

Physical custody refers to the periods of time when one parent is responsible for care of the child.1

Legal custody means decision-making rights and responsibilities related to the child’s health, education, and welfare.2

1 Miss. Code § 93-5-24(5)(b)
2 Miss. Code § 93-5-24(5)(d)

Legal Information

© 2008–2024 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.