Child custody cases can be heart wrenching and volatile. Hiring a private investigator to assist your case can mean the difference in gaining sole custody of your child and losing all custody of your child. Most often, both parents have the same goal in mind - find a solution that will be good for the children involved. However, there are some situations in which one parents only wants to prolong the case to hurt the other parent. Child custody can take many forms, from sole physical custody to third-party custody. There are a few main forms of child custody:

• Sole Custody: This arrangement grants one parent the physical and legal custody of the child.

• Joint Custody: This form grants custody of the child to both parents, and both parents are considered custodial parents. This form of custody has two subtypes - joint physical custody and joint legal custody. In joint physical custody, both parents share the lodging and care of the child according to a schedule. Joint legal custody grants both parents the ability to access their children's records.

• Split Custody: This arrangement splits the involved children between the parents. One parent is granted custody of certain children, while the other parent receives custody of the remaining children. This solution prevents children from having to constantly travel between parents' homes, and can split up children that do not get along. This form of custody is also criticized for splitting up children that may need each other for emotional support.

• Alternating Custody: This form of custody is similar to joint custody, but is primarily used when the parents live far away from each other. In this form, the children live for a long period of time with one parent, and then live for a similar amount of time with the other parent. While the child is living with one parent, that parent has sole legal authority of the children for the length of their visit.

• Third-Party Custody: Sometimes, the court will decide that children should not remain with either of their biological parents. In these cases, custody will be awarded to a third person. This ruling usually comes about either because neither biological parent wants custody of the children, or the biological parents are unable to provide the children with proper care.

• Bird's Nest Custody: In this form of custody, children constantly reside in a house and the parents take turns living there. This places the burden and upheaval of moving on the parents rather than the children.

A private investigator will be able to acquire documents about your opponent that show their lifestyle, income, romantic relationships, criminal history, work history, assets, and more. Facts that are proved to be true can greatly affect the judge's decision regarding the custody of the child involved. While you may think, at first, that a good lawyer is all you'll really need, a good lawyer appreciates having the sort of proof that a private investigator has the time and resources to obtain.