According to child custody laws in Georgia, there are two types of child custody: legal and physical. For both models, the court can award sole care or joint custody.
-
Legal custody
Legal custody gives you the right to make significant decisions about your child.
Parents can have Joint Legal custody and share equal responsibilities and rights to make decisions for their children.
However, one parent holds the right to make final decisions regarding the child’s religious upbringing, medical care, extracurricular and, education, etc.
-
Physical custody
Physical custody means with which parent the child will live.
Parents can have Joint Physical custody and share equal time to live with the child.
In the case of joint custody, the court may award joint physical custody, joint legal custody, or both.
Note: If the child is 14 years or older, they can share their preference with the court about which parents they want to live with.
However, the judge can overrule this preference if it is not in the best of the child’s interests.
As per the child custody laws of Georgia, there must be a parenting plan for any child custody agreement.
The parenting plan must recognize the following:
- Where the child will spend there each day of the year.
- How they will spend school breaks, birthdays, and other important occasions.
- How parents will allocate decision-making authority.
(Note: The above parenting plan list is not limited to the mentioned points. Consult your attorney for queries.)
If you seek child custody in Georgia, it is advised to understand all the laws related to child custody that can affect your claim.
You can hire a child custody lawyer to understand the laws and to represent your case in court.
Related Articles
How Is Child Custody Decided In Divorce?
Unmarried parents child custody cases
Divided custody and its effects
How LegalShield help you in adopting a child?
