What is custody (known as parental rights and responsibilities - "PR&R")?

Vermont family courts call custody “parental rights and responsibilities” (PR&R). This term means the same thing as custody, just with a different name. Some judges may still use the term “custody.”

“Custody” and “parental rights and responsibilities” both refer to the care and control of a child under 18. An order addressing parental rights and responsibilities will address:

• Who gets to make important decisions about the child’s life and how your child is raised; and
• Who will physically take care of the child.

Parents can make an agreement about PR&R and ask the court to turn that agreement into a court order. If the parents cannot agree, a judge can make a decision about PR&R as a part of a contested hearing.