California, like most other states, has a system of laws that govern child custody. The California Family Code states that the court can issue any order that appears appropriate or proper-Sec. 3022-regarding a child who is still a minor during or after a divorce case. When making decisions, the court is influenced by numerous essential statutory rules.

First and first, the court is believed to prioritize the child's safety and welfare. The primary goal of the court is to ensure the child's health, safety, and well-being. This policy is parallel to the California legislature's determination that child abuse and domestic violence are harmful to children. The court is also deemed to ensure that the child has frequent and continuing contact with both parents.

This policy is OK to abandon; however, when seeing one parent would be damaging to the child's safety and welfare. When assigning custody, the court has several options concerning the type of custody. There are three main types of custody arrangements, all with subsets; Sole Custody Orders, Joint Custody Orders, and Non Parent Custody Orders.

1. Sole custody orders can be exclusive, legal, or physical.

1. Exclusive orders give custody to one parent. That one parent is given primary physical control of the child and the right and responsibility of making legal decisions regarding the child's residence, health, education, and welfare. The noncustodial parent's visitation rights are secondary and are mandated by the judge.

1. Sole physical custody grants the child's sole physical custody to one parent without the legal aspect. The child lives with one parent and is supervised by the same, but the parent is not granted sole decision-making authority on other issues concerning the child.

1. Sole legal custody grants one parent the absolute right and duty to make decisions regarding a child's health, safety, and education. Still, the parent does not have the child's exclusive physical custody.

2. Joint custody orders can be purely joint, joint legal, or joint physical.

1. Pure joint custody orders give neither parent sole physical or legal custody. Both parents are given the authority to control and to supervise their children. Also, the physical presence of the child is shared.

1. Joint legal custody grants both parents the right and responsibility to make decisions regarding the child's health, education, and welfare. One parent is generally given primary physical custody of the child.

1. Joint physical custody gives each parent significant periods of physical custody. Despite the name, the child's time might not be divided equally with each parent.

3. Nonparent custody orders are not given lightly. Under certain circumstances, custody of the child is given to a nonparent who is then given exclusive responsibility for the child's care and control. The parents, at best, will have reasonable rights to visitation.

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