Relationship and Family

Child Custody and Parenting Arrangements in New  Zealand

In New Zealand, the terms custody and access have been replaced with day-to-day care and contact. Day-to-day care refers to where a child lives and who is responsible for their everyday needs, from ensuring they are safe and well-fed to getting them to school. Contact covers the time a child spends with a parent or other person who does not have day-to-day care. When these arrangements are formalised by the Family Court, they are set out in a Parenting Order.