A custodial parent is the parent who has been given primary responsibility for the care and custody of a child. This responsibility may include providing the child with physical and emotional care, food, clothing, medical care, educational oversight, and moral guidance. In other words, the custodial parent is the one who makes day-to-day decisions and has primary responsibility for the child.
In most cases, the custodial parent will have the legal right to make decisions regarding the child’s health, education, and welfare. Often, the other parent—the non-custodial parent—will have visitation and other rights, as specified by the court. If there are disagreements regarding the rights of either parent, those can be adjudicated by the court.
In a world of record job switches, work-from-home parents, and legions of traveling professionals, custodial parent determination is becoming increasingly complex. In the modern world where different approaches to parenting are more embraced than in the past, courts and families are increasingly looking to define what kind of parenting styles help best raise a child.
Modern Custodial Parent Considerations
As modern families change and evolve over time, custodial parent considerations are being rethought and modernized. Everything from virtual visitation rules to allowing the child to decide which parent they would like to reside with can come into play. As technology is increasingly making it easier for parents to remain connected and in touch, non-custodial parents may have more expanded virtual visitation rights.
That said, no matter the rights of a parent in regards to a child- whether custodial or non-custodial- the child’s best interests remain the top priority, and only the court can decide what those best interests are. If custody or visitation does become an issue, it is critical for both parents to seek legal counsel and advice.