A parent may want primary or sole custody of their children, and there are things you need to know if this is your situation. The court looks at many factors in granting a parent primary or sole custody over the other. The court is always going to look at what is in the best interests of the child.

The factors include, but are not limited to, the list below:

1. The mental and physical stability of the parents
2. The child’s physical and emotional needs
3. Any history of domestic violence in the household
4. Any history of neglect or abuse by one parent to the other parent or from one parent to a child
5. The level of conflict that exists between the parents.
6. The ability of the child to maintain a relationship with a parent. If, for example, one of the parents was given primary custody, will that parent enable and foster a relationship with the non-custodial parent.
7. Which parent has customarily had the primary responsibility of caring for the child such as taking the child to a doctor’s appointment, taking the child to school or to extracurricular activities.
8. The relationship between the child and each parent. Is the child closer to one parent than the other parent? Is the child able to express themselves freely with one parent, more so than with the other parent?
9. The wishes of the child.

These are just some of the factors that the court looks at when determining if and when to give one parent primary custody of the child over the other parent. The court usually considers that it is in the best interests of the child for the parents to have joint custody. So if you looking for primary custody of your child, what you need to do is to be sure that you meet many of the factors that the court considers in granting one parent primary custody or sole custody over the other.