Augusta, Georgia Child custody terms
When it comes to child custody in Augusta, Georgia , there are various terms that can get thrown around. Often, it can be very easy to misunderstand what exactly those terms mean. First of all, a term like “custody” has a literal meaning. If you have custody of something, it means that it is physically in your possession. However, some parents would speak about their children as being a “possession” in the way that jewelry or a car might be a possession. Custody, as it relates to child custody, is a legal term, and has very specific legal meanings and underpinnings that you must be understand what a phrase like “full child custody” means.
In Augusta, Georgia there are two specific concepts that child custody refers to. The first concept that child custody refers to is the area of legal obligations and rights. Often unless there is a compelling reason for the judge to hold otherwise, parents will share joint legal custody of their children in a divorce. Both parents have the right and obligation to make decisions for the child in important areas like education, instruction in religion, and health care. If parents have shared or joint legal custody, both parents shall have the total authority to act on the child’s behalf in these areas. Where only one parent has complete legal custody, then only that parent has the right to take these decisions. But, it is only in rare instances, like if one parent has been convicted of child abuse or endangerment, that there would be sole legal custody.
The next area that child custody refers to is physical custody. Having full physical custody of a child means that the child lives with you a vast majority of the time. However it does not indicate that the non-custodial parent cannot see the child, or that the child cannot live with the non-custodial parent. It just means that the child stays with you primarily. The non-custodial parent shall still typically retain joint legal custody even if you have full child custody in the physical area. Besides, the non-custodial parent can still also have specific visitation rights that you should, by law, comply with even if you have full physical child custody.
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Shawn Gunder is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer He is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney and Augusta Georgia child support attorney.
