Child custody (also known as legal custody, conservatorship, or allocation of parenting time and responsibilities) refers to the legal possession, rights, and responsibilities for a minor child by the child’s birth or adoptive parents—including the right to make health care, religious, cultural, and education decisions about the child's upbringing.

During separation, and following divorce, a child’s natural parents often share custody of the child (shared custody or joint custody)—unless one or both of the child’s natural or adoptive parents are deemed to be unfit or pose a risk to the health, safety, and well-being of the child (the child’s best interests). If one of the parents is deemed unfit, the other parent may be awarded sole custody of the child. In some cases a parent who is not allowed to have custody of a child may be given visitation rights—sometimes under the supervision of another adult (supervised visitation). Child custody laws are usually located in your state’s statutes governing family and domestic matters, and may be referred to as the Family Code.

Child custody is distinct from guardianship of a child, which usually involves a relative or an unrelated person temporarily agreeing to take responsibility for a child following the death of the child’s birth or adoptive parents, or their abandonment. And adoption is taking full and permanent responsibility for a child by someone other than the child’s birth parents.

In Minnesota, child custody laws are designed to ensure the best interests of the child are the primary consideration in determining custody arrangements during separation or divorce. Custody can be categorized as either legal custody, which involves the right to make decisions about the child's upbringing, or physical custody, which pertains to where the child will live. Parents can be awarded joint legal custody, allowing them both to make decisions for the child, or sole legal custody, where only one parent has this right. Similarly, joint physical custody can be granted, where the child spends significant time with both parents, or sole physical custody, where the child resides primarily with one parent. If a parent is deemed unfit or poses a risk to the child's well-being, they may lose custody rights but might be granted visitation, which can be supervised if necessary. Minnesota's child custody laws are found within the state's statutes governing family and domestic matters. It's important to note that child custody is different from guardianship, which is a temporary arrangement typically made when parents are deceased or have abandoned the child, and adoption, which is a permanent legal transfer of parental rights to another individual or couple.