Arizona Courts will make a custody determination when parties to a divorce have kids together. Since legal custody in Arizona involved decision making authority, a parent with legal custody is allowed to make important decisions relating to his or her children. These decisions may involve education, religion and non-emergency medical care. In Arizona, the most common type of legal custody is joint custody. In an Arizona joint cusody arrangement, both parents are authorized to share in the decision-making for their children. However, joint legal custody does not necessarily provide parents with equal parenting time. While joint custody is often the best arrangement for a child, this does not always hold true.
If a parent is unfit to parent or simply refuses to co-parent, courts may award sole legal custody to the other parent. In an Arizona sole legal custody arrangement, only one parent is given the absolute authority to make important decisions for the child. In instances where one parent is seeking sole legal custody, it can be advantageous to involve an Arizona child custody attorney who can protect the child’s best interests.
For more information about joint legal custody and sole legal custody in Arizona, contact the Mesa AZ family law firm of JacksonWhite. Our Arizona child custody attorney Tim Durkin can assess your case during a confidential family law consultation. Call (480) 779-7972