Child custody is a legal term sometimes used to describe the legal relationship between a parent and the child, such as the right and duty to take care of a minor child on a daily basis, and decision-making about the child. There are two forms of child custody: One is sole custody and the  child arrangements order   other is joint custody. In sole custody arrangements, one of the parents will take care of the child most of the time and has major decision power about the child. In a joint custody arrangement, both parents will share the decision-making process, and they will spend the majority of their time together with the child.

How do courts decide on custody?

Typically issues such as residence and contact will arise in divorce proceedings, annulment, and other legal proceedings in which the child is involved. In most jurisdictions, the court decides custody based on the best interest of a child when the parents cannot come to an agreement on their child's custody issue.

Determining the best interest of the child involves consideration of many factors, including the health and sex of the child, the primary caregiver prior to the divorce, parenting skills and willingness to care for the child, the emotional ties between the child and parent, willingness to facilitate visitation by the other parent, and each parent's moral fitness.

There are a few factors that are considered when determining the best interest of the child:

- Health and sex of the child
- Who was the primary caregiver prior to the divorce
- Parenting skills and willingness to take care of the child
- The emotional ties between the parent and the child
- Willingness to facilitate visitation by the other parent
- Parent's moral fitness.

In some states, courts use the term parenting schedule rather than custody or visitation because it will eliminate the distinction between custodial and non-custodial parents and thus the needs of children's development schedule. Younger children will need shorter but more frequent time with their parents. Older ones need longer blocks of time with each parent instead.