Family law
Legal custody
Also called decision-making
The right and responsibility to make important decisions about a child, such as health care, education and welfare.[1]
In more detail
California's courts explain that legal custody can be joint, shared by both parents, or sole, held by one.[1] Florida calls the same idea parental responsibility, which is shared unless sharing would harm the child.[2]
Varies by state
States use different terms: custody, parental responsibility, decision-making or conservatorship. Find your state’s rules.
Related terms
- Physical custodyWhere, and with which parent or parents, a child lives.
- Joint custodyCustody shared by both parents, either for decision-making (joint legal custody), for where the child lives (joint physical custody), or both.
- Sole custodyCustody held by one parent alone, for decisions about the child, where the child lives, or both.
- Shared parental responsibilityIn Florida, a court-ordered arrangement in which both parents keep full parental rights and responsibilities and make major decisions about their child together.
- ConservatorshipTexas's term for what most states call custody: a parent's rights and duties toward a child.
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Sources
The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.
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Cite this page
MediationList. (2026, October 28). Legal custody: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/legal-custody/
APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.