No you are not required to but if you share physical custody or the other parent has visitation you should inform them of any medical issues that they may encounter during their time with them. Sole legal custody simply means that you don't HAVE to discuss medical decisions with the other parent, not that you shouldn't.
Mother has sole custody in every state except Arizona. see link below
The guidelines are basically the same in every state but obviously there are a few minor differences. Joint custody consists of Primary Custody & Secondary Custody. The parent with primary custody is who the child lives with & the other parent has secondary custody. Depending on the age of the child & the state in which they reside, the court may let them determine where they choose to live. Or if both parents agree on the child's decision then the child can live with either parent.
The law presumes that an unmarried woman has sole custody of a child born out of wedlock until/unless a court rules otherwise.
Absolutely!!! If you can prove that in fact the child was abandoned, you have every right to get custody. Get the child and go to court the next day and don't leave until you have the order in your hands.
Go to: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html Typically, it is very difficult without an adoption pending. However, the link above is the place to research actual code. Here is a sample below: SECTION 7822.3 3) One parent has left the child in the care and custody of the other parent for a period of one year without any provision for the child's support, or without communication from the parent, with the intent on the part of the parent to abandon the child.
The mother automatically have custody from birth and the father can petition for custody, visitation and also pay child support after he has proved paternity in court by providing a DNA test. As long as the mother is fit he will get shared custody at the most.
Generally, as an unmarried mother you already have sole custody of your child under the law in every state. The father must establish his paternity in court in order to obtain shared custody and visitation rights. Until he does, you have sole legal custody.
Regardless of whether a parent pays support or not - the custody agreement determines who has rights. So if your child's father did not pay support but wants to see the child, and he has joint custody, he has every right, by law. This may not be morally right but it is legally right.
In every state except Arizona the mother has sole custody of the child and the father has no assumed rights until granted them by the courts.
Mother has sole control and custody in every state except Arizona, under all circumstances, at the time of the birth. see links below
Under all circumstances, unwed mothers have sole custody and control in every state until paternity is legally established. The mother has a medical record that proves maternity. Since there was no marriage the father must prove his paternity. Then child support and visitation orders can be established, and petitions for custody can be filed.
A parent who is seeking full custody should be prepared to be questioned about every aspect of their lives. A person seeking custody will have to prove that they are a fit parent, have a steady income, a decent home, and can care for the child. They may also have to prove that the other parent is unfit.