All states have specific laws around child custody, and California has joint custody, sole custody and non-parent custody laws. Joint custody is one of the most preferred options in all custodial discussions because it means that the two parents will still share in many decisions and responsibilities about their children. California joint custody has four different categories ﾖ the pure, legal, physical and divided categories. Each describes the different ways in which the parents will share their custodial rights and responsibilities, but the emphasis on all of them is the fact that both have specific privileges and authority where the child is concerned. For example, parents in California with joint custody of the legal kind will make shared decisions about their child's education, health and day to day welfare. Many parents submit a parenting plan prior to their divorce proceedings to establish with the courts the type of custodial arrangements they desire, though this is up to the judge to accept or deny.