custodial parent
Child's residential guardian
A custodial parent is the parent with whom a child primarily lives after divorce or separation.
Legal custody determines decision-making authority, while physical custody determines residence—the custodial parent has physical custody, though both parents may share legal custody.
The custodial parent claims the child as a dependent on taxes.
- visitation rightsNoncustodial parent's scheduled contact
- holiday scheduleListing of observed days off
- parenting timeScheduled custody access
- co-parentingJoint child-rearing by separated adults
- primary residenceMain place of habitation
pickup and dropoff · provider · parental rights · nurturer · residential · school night · protector · parenting plan · caregiver · child support · family court · court order · educational support · divorce · dependent · weekend · sole · advocate
- caregiverscaregiver, parents, carer, mothers, babysitter
- family rolesmother, father, mom, dad, parents
- Parent-Childmother-daughter, mother-son, father-daughter, father-son, offspring
- child custody
- custodyvisitation rights, supervised visitation, parenting time, visitation, supervised visits
- Single Parentingsingle mom, single dad, single mother, single father, primary caregiver