What is the Difference Between Custody and Access?

Question

What is the difference between custody and access?

Answer

Custody and access both refer to children in a separation or divorce, and the two are often confused.

Custody refers to who makes the decisions about a child’s school, medical and dental needs, and general well-being.  Parents may have joint custody following separation, which means they make decisions together about what is in the best interests of their children, or in other cases, one parent may have sole custody, permitting that parent to make decisions for…