The following factors are taken into consideration by the courts: The physical and mental ability of the parents to take care of the child The main caretaker of the child Who makes the decisions involving the child Who helps the child in his or her daily activities Who has better finances to provide for the child s needs As a father trying to get custody of your child, you must be aware of the two custody options available to you: legal custody and physical custody. Both parents are authorized to decide alone on behalf of the children if no custody order was given when they separated. Relatives or non-parents may file for temporary custody if the parents of the child are mentally or physically incapable of taking care of the child. A temporary custody order may be requested shortly after the divorce petition has been filed. They tend to withdraw from everybody else parents, friends, and classmates and would prefer to be on their own since they are afraid that people will ask him or her on the details of the child custody case which he or she no longer wishes to be reminded of. 3. Too much shyness. Since kids feel embarrassed with all the things that have occurred, discussed and divulged during the child custody case hearing, they will develop extreme shyness that will hamper their social communication skills and may eventually affect his or her overall personality. You can adopt these because when you continue learning, you can acquire new skills that can add up to the things that you can do. 2. Always have a positive outlook in life. This might some easy for some but many people are in fact having a hard time developing and maintaining a positive outlook in life. The judge s decision will be based on the child s best interests. This could be difficult if the child is well-cared for or the custody plan had been in place for some time. Can anybody have custody over a child other than the parents? In California, judges must first consider the parents first, either singly or together. In this child custody arrangement, parents are allowed by the courts to divide for themselves the custody rights as long as neglect or abuse is not involved. Custody rights entail both legal and physical responsibilities of the parents. Legal custody rights allow a parent to make major decisions on things that are involved in his or her children s life such as religion, education, and healthcare.