Sole Custody – This is when one parent has custody of the children. In this case, the child always resides permanently with the parent having sole custody and the other parent may have access visits.

Joint Custody – This is where both parents have custody. This is also known as joint legal custody. Courts will normally only awards this type of custody to parents who are able to cooperate on parenting matters. While parents may have joint custody, the residency/access arrangements for the children may vary widely.

Shared Custody – This is when both parents have joint custody of the children, and both parents spend at least 40% of the time with their children. This is also known as joint physical custody.

Split Custody – This is when one parent has custody of some of the children, and the other parent has custody of the remaining children. Courts try to never split up up younger children from their siblings. However, older siblings often choose to live with different parents