What is joint custody? What is sole custody?

Colorado does not have joint custody or sole custody. Colorado uses the term parental responsibility – which can either be joint or primary.  If you equally share in overnight visitation with the minor child, you have joint parental responsibility.  If a parent has less then 90 overnight visitations with the minor child, the other parent is considered to have primary parental responsibility.

Colorado also divides residential responsibility from decision-making responsibility. Sole decision-making responsibility occurs when a parent is able to make all major decisions (education, religious, extracurricular, and medical) regarding the minor child without consulting with the other parent.  Joint decision-making responsibility occurs when the parents have to share the responsibility of those decisions.