Custody is defined as the control and charge of a person, item or property. Custody is awarded to an individual who then promises to take care of the person, item or property and they resume the responsibility for it. With child custody, the parent who is awarded the custody usually has full control to make the decisions regarding the child and anything that pertains to the child, such as medical procedures, educational decisions, normal raising and the care of the child, discipline, control, religion and even the actual naming of the child. Custody can be shared by both parents, which is called joint custody. Custody, in relation to family law, can also be called guardianship or parental responsibility. The parents can actually agree on the custody and the courts can take this into consideration when awarding custody. Either joint custody or sole custody can be awarded through a divorce or legal separation.