In some custody situations, it is possible that the child/children will not remain with either of their natural, biological, parents, but instead custody is awarded to a third person. Generally speaking, third-party custody

Third-party custody

In some custody situations, it is possible that the child/children will not remain with either of their natural, biological, parents, but instead custody is awarded to a third person...

 occurs when one of two options occur:

• The biological parents do not want custody of the child/children.
• The biological parents are incapable of caring for the child/children.

Voluntary relinquishment

Occasionally, parents will agree to allow an adult (who is not either of the two parents) to raise their child/children. Generally, if either parent changes his/her mind later in the child's life, he/she has the option to seek custody at that point.

Unfit parents

Custody may be awarded to a third adult (who is not either of the two parents) because the parents both seemed unfit to do so. Reasons that the court would retain authority over the child/children and later award custody to a third adult include:

• Child abuse/neglect.
• Substance abuse.
• Deliberate deserting/abandonment of the child/children.
• Inability to provide an adequate income which is necessary for the raising of a child.

Other forms of custody

• Alternating custody
  Alternating custody
  Alternating custody, also known as serial custody, is an arrangement in which children live for long periods of time with one parent, and then spend a similar amount of time with the other parent...
  
   is an arrangement whereby the child/children live for an extended period of time with one parent, and then for a similar amount of time with the other parent. While the child/children are with the parent, that parent retains sole authority over the child/children.
• Bird's nest custody is an arrangement whereby the parents go back and forth from a residence in which the child/children reside, placing the burden of upheaval and movement on the parents rather than the child/children.
• Joint custody
  Joint custody
  Joint custody is a court order whereby custody of a child is awarded to both parties. In joint custody both parents are custodial parents and neither parent is a non-custodial parent, or, in other words, the child has two custodial parents. In the United States, many states recognize two forms of...
  
   is an arrangement whereby both parents have legal custody and/or both parents have physical custody.
• Sole custody
  Sole custody
  Sole custody arrangements have generally be considered a traditional form of custody for many in the past, however there has been a trend since the 1980s towards joint custody arrangements being more favorable...
  
   is an arrangement whereby only one parent has physical and legal custody of a child.
• Split custody
  Split custody
  Split custody refers to a custody arrangement in which the children are essentially split up, with some of the children living more with one parent, and some of the children living more with the other parent...
  
   is an arrangement whereby one parent has full time custody over some children, and the other parent has full custody over the other children.

See also

• Divorce
  Divorce
  Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
  
  
• Family law
  Family law
  Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
  
  
• Family court
  Family court
  A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a...
  
  
• Legal custody
  Legal custody
  -Prisoners:See of the Prison Act 1952.In section 4 of the Official Secrets Act 1989, the expression "legal custody" includes detention in pursuance of any enactment or any instrument made under an enactment.-Children:See of the Children Act 1975....
  
  
• Parens patriae
  Parens patriae
  Parens patriae is Latin for "parent of the nation." In law, it refers to the public policy power of the state to intervene against an abusive or negligent parent, legal guardian or informal caretaker, and to act as the parent of any child or individual who is in need of protection...
  
  
• Parenting plan
  Parenting plan
  A Parenting Plan or Custody Agreement is required by the district court along with divorce paperwork when parents divorce or separate. A Parenting Plan allows parents to avoid future conflicts arising from a lack of guidelines in dealing with responsibilities relating to the children...
  
  
• Physical custody
• Shared parenting
  Shared parenting
  Shared parenting refers to a collaborative arrangement in child custody or divorce determinations in which the care of the children is equal or more than substantially shared between the biological parents.- Nature and History :...
  
  
• Ward of the state