Glossary

conciliation counseling	Marriage counseling ordered by a court in which spouses try to decide whether they want to dissolve their marriage or agree to try to solve their problems.



custody	A term that refers to both legal custody (the parent's right to make decisions regarding the welfare of the child) and physical custody (the parent's right to have the child living with him or her).



joint legal custody	Custody shared by both parents, both of whom are responsible for child rearing and for making decisions regarding the child.



no-fault divorce	A legal approach that eliminates fault as a precondition for access to courts and recognizes the right of the individual to petition for divorce on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown of the marriage or irreconcilable differences.



sole legal custody	Situation in which the noncustodial parent forfeits the right to make decisions about the children's health, education, or religious training.



structured separation	A time-limited approach in which partners terminate cohabitation, commit themselves to regularly scheduled therapy with a therapist, and agree to regular interpersonal contact-with a moratorium on a final decision either to reunite or to divorce.

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