What is the difference between the two forms of custody?
Except in the extreme circumstances which must be discussed with an attorney, each party will have certain legal rights as a parent. The legal rights of each parent does not determine how much time that the parent will have with the child. Some legal rights belong to both parents at all times (such as the right to consult with the child’s schools or doctors); some legal rights belong to both parents and apply when the child is with them (such as the right to discipline the child or provide routine medical care); and some legal rights will be given to only one parent (such as the right to say where the child will live or to consent to surgery that is not an emergency.) In some cases the court may determine where the child will live (i.e., Denton, Dallas, or Contiguous Counties) or what school the child will attend. Besides the legal rights, each parent will have specific time either agreed or set out by the court when the child will be with them.
