What is the Definition of Custody in Nevada?

If you live in southern Nevada and you’re considering or in a custody dispute over your children, you need the best legal help you can get. The state of Nevada wishes to have strong families, even if the relationship between the parents has not thrived. We all want what’s best for our children. The Nevada Revised Statues (NRS 125C) has an entire chapter dedicated to custody concerns and the custody definition.

It’s very common for people to have specific questions regarding Custody Definition. With over 20 years practicing family law in southern Nevada, you should seek the help of the Huggins Law Office. The Huggins Law Office can help answer your questions and provide solid legal counsel for your children’s best future.

joint custody definition

Common questions might begin with: What does it mean to have joint legal custody in Nevada? Generally, the court will assume that the interests of a minor child are best served if both parents share legal custody which are stated in NRS 125C.0015. So long as parents demonstrate a meaningful relationship with the child or children in question, joint legal custody should be awarded. If you are in a situation where your former partner may be attempting to damage your relationship with your child, commonly called Parental Alienation, you should reach out to the Huggins Law Office to pursue a legal remedy for your situation.

What does it mean to have joint physical custody in Nevada? The court may award joint legal custody without joint physical custody. Courts prefer joint physical custody as it usually serves the child’s best interests to spend time with both parents. The court can conduct an investigation into the family’s situation to determine whether or not joint physical custody is appropriate. Every situation for every family is different, and you can discuss the specifics of your case when we meet.

To learn more about joint legal custody please read on NRS 125C.002 and also for joint physical custody read on NRS 125C.0025.

sole custody defined

What does it mean to have sole legal custody in Nevada? A parent who has sole legal custody of a child is the only one who can make important decisions for the minor child in question. You may have valid concerns about your former partner and thus want to keep major decisions in your child’s life in your hands, choices like healthcare options, education, and religious affiliation, to name only three. If you have these concerns or others, sole legal custody might be the right choice for you.

What does it mean to have sole physical custody in Nevada? At its simplest, sole physical custody arranges for a child or children to live with the primary custodial parent over 50% of the time. The percentage can be modified as to your situation. Unlike joint physical custody, this assigns one residence to the child that becomes the primary home, rather than moving between residences.

primary physical custody

Last but not least, what does it mean to have primary physical custody in Nevada? As in cases of joint physical custody, the court will determine the best interests of the child as stated on NRS 125C.003. Some of the provisions that would make primary physical custody applicable would be if one parent is unable to care for a minor child a minimum of 146 days of a year for whatever reason, the child was born out of wedlock, or one parent of the child committed one or more acts of domestic violence. If you have had a child with a partner and are unmarried, the court may determine sole physical custody applies to your case—the NRS has multiple statutes for your situation.

For answers to family law questions like Custody Definition and many more, reach out to the Huggins Family Law office. As an expert in family law, The Huggins Law Office will get you the assistance you and your family need. Give us a call for a free initial consultation today! We can be reached at (702) 387-4014, or send us an email on our contact form.