Describe the typical types of child custody arrangements.

The parent who has the legal custody of the child has the right to make major decisions about the child's life without consulting with the other parent. Often, the parent who has legal custody also has physical custody.
Many states now provide for joint custody, which is shared custody of the children of divorcing parents. Joint legal custody means that both parents together make major decisions about the child. Joint legal custody may also involve joint physical custody, in which both parents maintain a home for the child and have physical custody of the child for roughly comparable time periods. Joint physical custody usually works best if both parents live in the same school district or if the child attends a private school to which both parents have access.