Navigating the Differences Between Joint and Sole Custody
I’m Tulsa divorce attorney Palmer Johnson. Welcome to my video series where I address some of my clients’ most frequently asked family law questions. Today’s question is what is the difference between joint custody and sole custody?
Joint custody is a custodial arrangement that requires both parents to confer and agree on decisions related to their child in all the big areas of their life, things like medical decisions, education, extracurricular activities, and religious teachings. If you have sole custody, you would still need to confer with the other parent. They still have the same parental rights to be consulted, but you can ultimately make the final decision on what you’re going to do, and you do not have to agree on it.
Benefits of Joint Custody
Sole custody is more appropriate for very high conflict parents that cannot agree or have fundamental differences on how the child is going to be raised. It really doesn’t have a lot to do with what the final visitation schedule might be. Oftentimes, if people set aside their initial discomfort and anger or reasons why the marriage might be breaking up, they can actually function in a joint custody arrangement.
It’s typically the visitation schedule that we’re fighting over, but people focus on custody and have this belief that sole custody means that the other parent is going to have very limited visitation. While that may sometimes be the case, it is not always the outcome.
Consultation Available
If you need legal advice about this topic or another family law matter, and you are in the Tulsa area, you can contact me at 918-770-7117 to schedule a low-cost personal consultation. Don’t hesitate to reach out and get the help you need.