After your divorce, the court split up your custody rights equally between you and your ex. You both have physical custody rights, so your child lives with you part of the time and with your ex the rest of the time. But the court also divided legal custody rights, which govern who gets to make important decisions on your child’s behalf.
But what types of decisions are included under these rights? After all, parents can set their own rules in their homes, so legal custody rights do not extend to everything. Your ex is not in charge of what food you give your child for dinner or what time they go to bed when they are living with you. Instead, legal custody rights govern more important decisions, such as:
- What medical care the child receives
- Where the child goes to school
- What religion the child is brought up in
- If the child is going to open joint lines of credit or bank accounts
Parents still have some leeway to make minor decisions on their own, but if you and your ex share legal custody rights, you have to work together on these big decisions.
What if you disagree?
It is very common for coparents to have disagreements over things like medical care or education. If this happens, remember that you have to respect your ex’s legal custody rights. You cannot just begin making these choices on your own. You should try to seek a compromise, and if that is not possible, you may need to go to court to get a decision that you are both then obligated to uphold.
When these types of disputes arise, it is important that you understand your parental rights and the legal options at your disposal.