The parent who is given physical or legal custody of a child by court order. Refers to a parent who has been awarded sole physical custody of a child, or with whom the child primarily lives. The custodial parent is primarily responsible for the day-to-day care of the child. Commonly, parents are assigned joint physical and legal custody, which means they legally share parental duties, but it is necessary for the court to specifically state, in any custody and visitation order, where the child will spend most of their time.