Child Custody
The legal right and responsibility to care for and make decisions concerning a minor child.
In Simple Terms
Who a child lives with and who makes the major decisions for them, decided by a court where the parents can't agree.
Detailed Legal Meaning
Custody disputes determine which parent (or, occasionally, another guardian) a minor child resides with and who exercises decision-making authority over their welfare, with courts guided principally by the paramount consideration of the child's welfare rather than either parent's competing claim as of right.