When you’re going through a divorce and you have children, you will be required to agree to a child custody plan with your former spouse. If the two of you are unable to come to an agreement, the court will make the decision for you. In Louisiana, there are 4 major types of child custody:
- Sole Custody - Sole custody refers to the sole legal and physical custody of the child. The parent with sole custody has exclusive rights concerning the child. This type of custody is rare and is usually a result of a situation in which one of the parents has been deemed unfit to care for the child.
- Split Custody - Split custody is an arrangement that may be ordered when a family has more than one child. In this arrangement, each parent has sole custody of at least one of the children. In a split custody situation, child support may or may not be owed.
- Joint Custody - Joint custody is an often common arrangement for unmarried or divorced parents. When parents have joint custody, both parents do not have equal time or physical custody of the child or children. Parents are still given opportunities to have frequent contact and interaction with their children, but it is not an equal arrangement.
- Non-parental Custody - In a situation where the court determines that giving either parent custody of the child would result in harm; the court may award custody to a non-parent. Custody may also be awarded to a non-parent when the parent is deceased or cannot be found.