Decision-making Responsibility

"Decision-making Responsibility" is the responsibility to make decisions concerning the child.  The term may refer to decisions on all issues or on specified issues.  Typically, the parties to a divorce are awarded "Decision-making Responsibility" of their children, which means they are each entitled to make decisions regarding the children's health, education, welfare and upbringing. 

• Generally, the court must accept the parent's decision-making agreement unless the court makes written findings that the agreement is not in the interest of the children.
• If the parents do not agree, the court allocates the decision-making authority based on the child's best interest. 
• If the decision-making is shared in some respect, the allocation must address a method of dispute resolution if the parent's do not agree.  For example, the allocation may say if the parents do not agree, dad will decide.  Or, it may say, if they do not agree, they will work with a third party to resolve the dispute.