Custody and parenting plans

California has two kinds of custody: legal custody (decision-making about education, healthcare, religion) and physical custody (where the kid lives). Each can be sole or joint.

Joint legal + joint physical is the most common arrangement in uncontested cases. Both parents make decisions together. Time is split between two homes.

Time-share schedules: 50/50 (alternating weeks, 2-2-3 schedules), 60/40 (extended weekends), 70/30 (every-other-weekend plus a weekday), 80/20 (one parent has primary). The schedule affects child support.

Parenting plans (attached to your judgment) should cover: regular schedule, holidays, school breaks, summers, transportation, decision-making, communication rules, and how to handle changes.

Courts apply a "best interests of the child" standard, which includes frequent and continuing contact with both parents. A 50/50 schedule is the default starting point in many counties when both parents are fit and willing.

If custody is disputed, the court may order mediation through Family Court Services before any judge gets involved. That's required in most counties.