Family law
Sole custody
Also called sole parental responsibility
Custody held by one parent alone, for decisions about the child, where the child lives, or both.[1]
In more detail
California's courts describe sole legal custody as one parent having the right and responsibility to make important decisions.[1] Florida's equivalent is sole parental responsibility, an arrangement a court orders so that one parent alone decides matters about the child.[2]
Varies by state
States use different terms and standards for awarding sole custody. Find your state’s rules.
Related terms
- Joint custodyCustody shared by both parents, either for decision-making (joint legal custody), for where the child lives (joint physical custody), or both.
- Legal custodyThe right and responsibility to make important decisions about a child, such as health care, education and welfare.
- 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.
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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). Sole custody: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/sole-custody/
APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.