Joint legal custody means both parents have an equal, legal right when making decisions concerning their child’s upbringing.

However, a child is not legally entitled to choose who to live with until the age of 16. Therefore it usually falls to the parents to decide who is going to be the ‘primary care-giver’ (meaning the person the child lives with). For some families the decision will be clear while for others it could be more complicated.

Physical custody refers to where the children physically live. Legal custody refers to the authority to make decisions for a child, such as: Where a child should attend school.

In general, the main point of joint custody is to provide both parents equal control over decisions regarding a child’s upbringing and to split the time that a child spends living with each of them. On the other hand, shared custody focuses on how much contact the child has with each parent.

50/50 schedules can benefit a child because the child spends substantial time living with both parents. This allows him or her to build a close relationship with both parents, and to feel cared for by both parents. 50/50 schedules work best when: The parents live fairly close to each other, so exchanges are easier.

Shared parental responsibility is when both parents have full parental rights and responsibilities with respect to their child. The parents must talk to each other and jointly make decisions about the child’s welfare (including primary residence, education, religion, medical and dental care).

Some parents question, “is joint custody good for the child?” One of the biggest disadvantages of joint custody is how stressful it is for children to constantly move from one parent’s house to the other. Some children have a hard time adjusting to the back and forth of joint custody.

As a father, having parental responsibility provides you with equal rights and responsibilities in respect of the child as the mother or anyone else who has parental responsibility. Representing your child during legal proceedings. Deciding where your child should live. Deciding on your child’s religious upbringing.

Because so much modern child bearing is non-marital, and because mothers of such children are much more likely to have a substantial relationship with their children than are such fathers, mothers of children born out of wedlock are more likely to be awarded custody.

However, it remains a common misconception that mothers have more rights than fathers. In fact, if each parent has parental responsibility for a child, their rights and responsibilities are equal. The paramount consideration of the court is the child and their best interests.

If you have sole physical custody, it is not legal for the other parent to take your child from you. Sometimes taking your child from you is a crime, like “parental kidnapping.” But if you are married, and there is no court order of custody, it is legal for the other parent to take your child.

2 Parental Rights and Responsibilities Married fathers have an automatic right to: safeguard their child’s health and welfare. Fathers are required to do so by providing financial and emotional support as well as guidance to their child.

While the process can be challenging, it is not impossible. Most judges try to ensure that the decisions they make are in the best interest of the children. Whether you are a father going for full custody or joint custody, you should do everything you can to prepare for child custody battle ahead of you.

Without a doubt, courts here in Texas and across the country once favored keeping kids with their mothers. Even under questionable circumstances, family courts used to believe that children were better off with their mothers than with their fathers full time.

9 Things to Avoid During Your Custody Battle

• AVOID VERBAL ALTERCATIONS WITH EX-SPOUSE AND/OR CHILDREN.
• AVOID PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION WITH EX-SPOUSE AND/OR CHILDREN.
• AVOID EXPOSING YOUR CHILDREN TO NEW PARTNERS.
• AVOID CRITICIZING THE OTHER PARENT TO LEGAL PARTIES, FAMILY, OR FRIENDS.
• AVOID NEGLECTING CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS AND/OR AGREED UPON PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

By taking the following steps, you will better understand how to beat a narcissist in a custody battle.

1. Get Organized.
2. Do not become a player in their game.
3. Understand that a court hearing is inevitable.
4. Involve a mental health professional.
5. Disengage.
6. Get help.
7. If at any point you feel unsafe, call the police.