Custody

Physical care means providing the child’s main home and day-to-day, routine care for the child.¹

Joint physical care means the parents have equal rights and responsibilities to provide the child’s main home and take care of the child. Both parents keep homes for the child and share parenting time.² 

Sole physical care, also called primary physical care, means the child regularly lives with one parent who provides day-to-day, routine care for the child.¹ The other parent may or may not have visitation. The parent who the child regularly lives with may be called the “custodial parent.” The other parent may be called the “noncustodial parent.” If you have sole physical care, you are supposed to support your child’s relationship with the other parent.³

¹ Iowa Code § 598.1(7)
² Iowa Code § 598.1(4)
³ Iowa Code § 598.41(5)(b)