WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors.

Legal Information: Mississippi

Custody

Laws current as of August 8, 2025

What is custody?

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

Physical custody refers to the periods of time when the child lives with one parent or that parent is responsible for the child’s care.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

© 2008–2025 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.