What is legal decision making?

In Arizona, custody is known as legal decision making authority. The judge considers many factors, including the parents’ wishes; which parent has been the primary caregiver; the children’s adjustment to each parent and to home, school and community; the children’s wishes (in some cases); and which parent is more likely to allow the other parent a relationship with the children. The judge will also take very seriously any history of domestic violence, substance abuse, and whether a parent keeps the child from the other parent without a valid reason.

Joint legal decision making authority is shared decision-making and will be appropriate for many families.

Sole legal decision making authority gives one parent decision making authority. This may be appropriate in situations where one parent is not involved or when one parent is not capable of co parenting in an appropriate way.