SC H4540

Limits family court custody awards to only two types: sole custody or joint custody, eliminating "divided custody" as an option

Establishes no presumption favoring either sole or joint custody, and removes any requirement for courts to find "exceptional circumstances" to award either type

Defines "parenting time" as the time during which a child is in the care of a parent, and requires every custody order to specify a parenting time schedule for each parent

Requires joint custody orders to specify how major decisions (education, medical/dental care, extracurricular activities, religious training) will be made, while allowing judges to designate one parent for specific decisions

Simplifies parenting plan requirements by making submission optional rather than mandatory at contested hearings, while still requiring courts to consider any plans that are submitted