what is sole legal custody

Sole legal custody is a child custody arrangement in which one parent has the full responsibility to make major decisions for the child, without the need to consult the other parent. This includes decisions related to the childs welfare, health, upbringing, schooling, religion, and medical care. The parent with sole legal custody has the authority to make these decisions unilaterally, without the input of the other parent. This arrangement is often necessary in cases involving parental instability, substance abuse, child abuse, neglect, abandonment, or similar situations. It is becoming less common because many state guidelines set joint legal custody as the default, and sole legal custody is awarded only if joint legal custody would be harmful to the child. Sole legal custody is distinct from sole physical custody, which refers to the child living with one parent for all or a majority of the time, while the noncustodial parent usually has visitation rights.