In Arizona, the courts may order parents to have joint legal decision-making, also known as joint custody, or they may award sole legal decision-making to one parent. In joint legal decision-making, both parents equally share legal responsibility for making decisions related to the child’s health, education, and welfare. This may also include a shared parenting plan that outlines the percentage of time the child will reside with each parent. Additionally, the court may also grant a parent the right to make sole legal decisions regarding the child. In this case, the other parent will still retain their rights to visit and maintain a relationship with the child. In some cases, a court may also order that a third party, such as a grandparent, be given sole legal authority over the child’s care and decision-making. This is known as third-party legal decision-making. Arizona also allows for the creation of a guardianship for a child, whereby a third party is given responsibility for the child’s care and decision-making.