Sole legal custody is a type of custody arrangement in which one parent has sole responsibility for making decisions about the child or children. It is a court order that allows one parent to make all major decisions involving the child’s life, while the other parent may maintain contact with their child by right. You can seek the legal assistance of a divorce lawyer from Turco Legal, P.C., if what you want is sole legal custody of your child.

This post will go through six reasons why it might be beneficial to ask for sole legal custody and who it is most useful for.

• Parental alienation

If there is a high possibility of parental alienation between two parents, sole legal custody might be helpful in preventing that from occurring. Sole legal custody could help by ensuring that the parent who is attempting to alienate the kid does not have any control over the child. Parental alienation happens when one parent tries to turn the children against the other parent.

• Domestic violence

If there is a history of domestic violence, sole legal custody might be beneficial to the parent who is being abused. Domestic abuse can be physical, economic, sexual, and emotional. And yes, domestic violence can greatly impact the lives of children who witness it or are otherwise involved in the situation. 

• Substance abuse

Substance abuse can cause a lot of difficulties for children. It can even be detrimental to their physical and emotional development. When one parent abuses drugs or alcohol, sole legal custody could be beneficial so that the child will not have to be exposed to that parent’s substance abuse on a regular basis.

• Mental health issues

Parental mental health issues are an issue that divorcing couples should be aware of. It is so common for one parent to suffer from a mental illness that they cannot treat or handle themselves well enough to raise children. If one side has a history of mental health issues, sole legal custody could be the best solution.

• Child’s preference

The children should always have a say in the type of custody arrangement they are in. If a child would prefer to be in sole legal custody with one parent, then it is probably a good idea to ask for it.

• Lack of cooperation

Lack of cooperation between two parents is also a reason why sole legal custody might be the best choice. It could be beneficial to ask for sole legal custody if one parent does not want to cooperate in a family relationship.