When parents split up in Virginia, the court may issue a custody order. This typically addresses two main areas: Physical and legal custody.
Physical custody refers to where the child will live, which parent they’ll be with, and when the parents will make exchanges. One parent may have primary custody, while the other parent may simply have visitation rights or custody on the weekends. In other situations, custody may be an even 50-50 split. Every case is unique.
Legal custody, on the other hand, involves making important decisions on the child’s behalf, such as where the child will go to school or what type of medical care they will receive.
Rules may differ between households
That said, custody orders typically do not specify what rules the parents must use. For example, parents may have very different curfews for their children or different stances on when the children can use technology or certain devices. As a general rule, unless there is a clear danger to the child, the court allows parents to make these decisions independently.
Even though the same house rules are not legally mandated, consistency can benefit the children. It allows them to understand what is expected of them in both households. Consistent rules can also help shared custody go more smoothly because the children will have the same general experience growing up, no matter which parent they’re living with. This type of stability and consistency can greatly help children, so it’s something that co-parents may want to consider, even if it goes beyond their strict legal requirements.
There are many complexities to co-parenting, and this is just one example. Parents should always ensure they understand their legal rights and options.