Child custody is a legal term used when a couple - married or in a civil union - have children together. Under the law, the parents have joint guardianship and equal parental rights.

Often, the parents of minor children find that they cannot agree on their parental rights and responsibilities. In family law, these child custody disputes occur most often in one of two settings: in domestic relations court in the course of or as the result of a divorce or in juvenile court between unmarried parents. It is important a parent to understand his or her rights and options in both settings.

If a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment proceeding involves a child and if the court has not issued a shared parenting decree, the court shall make a just and reasonable order or decree permitting each parent who is not the residential parent to visit the child at the time and under the conditions that the court directs, unless the court determines that it would not be in the best interest of the child to permit that parent to visit the child.