 Dear students, in this module we are going to discuss child custody laws. In our previous modules we discussed that how different marriage patterns are affecting our lives and particularly what happens when marriages are in the process of conflict and also these conflicts ultimately are leading towards the dissolution of marriage. So, since the dissolution of marriage is a part of your marital process, especially in the modern world, in modern societies, we see that marriage rates are increasing rapidly. And the consequences of this are especially on the children and especially on the children. And once the divorce occurs, the major tussle between the parents is that who will have the children's custody? So, the laws of the children's custody are different from the different societies of different families. In Western societies, the family custody laws are entirely different as compared to the Pakistani family custody laws. In the Pakistani family laws, the Sharia laws are given a lot of importance and it is seen that how Islam is defining these custody rights. So, formally speaking, child custody laws refer to a legal process by which the care and control of a child is determined when parents are unable to agree on a custody arrangement. Custody laws vary by country and region and can have influence by cultural and religious values. So, in Pakistan, for example, custody laws are largely based on Islamic law which gives precedence to mother for custody of young children. So, since the family law is based on a legal ideology in Pakistan, the mother is given a lot of importance and especially when a child is younger, the custody is related to the mother. But as soon as a child is 7 years old, especially if he is a boy, when he reaches 7 years old, then it is an option or choice that he can go to the father's custody. But if he is a girl, then the family law defines the family law that until he reaches the age of the baby, he will stay with the mother. After that, he can decide for himself who he will stay with. So, these custody battles can be complex and emotional and can have long-lasting impacts on both parents and children. For sociologists, it is very important to understand and understand these custody laws because on the education of the children and their future lives, there are very serious effects. Especially the broken families, families whose divorce or separation is separated, there is a contestation about the study of these children in which sometimes the children do not even think about their choice. So, in such a situation, children become a part of their personality in a very stressful environment. So, for a sociologist, it is very important to see and observe how these children, particularly the parents, fight a legal battle for their studies. How these things become a part of their personality. And in their later life, whether it is their academic life or their professional life, how these contestations reflect in their life aspects. So, it is a full thought for you to judge and observe.