What is child custody?
In the UK child custody law determines the person(s) responsible for the care and charge of a child, after divorce or separation. The term custody can also be referred to as residency – indicating the child’s main residence, following parents going their separate ways. In the UK, child custody primarily falls into two categories: sole custody and joint custody.
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Sole custody means that one parent has the primary responsibility for the child’s care and upbringing. This parent makes the major decisions about the child’s life, such as those concerning education and healthcare.
Joint custody involves both parents sharing the responsibilities of raising their child. This arrangement requires cooperation between the parents as they both contribute to decisions about significant aspects of the child’s life, including schooling, medical care, and general welfare.
Many child custody agreements also include rules regarding visitation. Visitation dictates when a specific party mentioned in the agreement has the right to visit or spend time with the child, or children, in question.
Maya Bhatiani
3 min read
20 Oct 2025
