Custodial

• According to the legal encyclopedia NOLO, each parent has the same legal right to custody of a child. Parents often determine their own custody arrangements. When they can't agree, the court makes a determination based on what's best for the child.
  
  

Physical Custody

• Physical custody refers to where a child lives most of the time. In many cases, the courts give sole physical custody to one parent, while the other has visitation. In shared custody agreements, a child spends significant amounts of time living with each parent.
  
  

Legal Custody

• Legal custody refers to the right of a parent to make significant decisions about how to raise her children. According to FindLaw, unless the courts deem one parent unfit, parents are usually awarded joint legal custody.
  
  

Visitation

• According to NOLO, in a divorce, courts generally order "reasonable visitation" for non-custodial parents. This means that the parents must set up specific visitation terms and schedules. If parents cannot agree, they often resolve their issues through mediation.
  
  

Considerations

• If a parent has a serious concern that a custodial order creates a hostile or unsafe environment for his child, he can have the order revisited by a judge. He should have clear-cut evidence to offer the court concerning his allegations.