Lögin skýra hvernig foreldrar sem búa ekki saman geta samið um búsetu barna sinna, þar með talið svokölluð skipt búseta þar sem barn býr jafnt hjá báðum foreldrum. Foreldri með lögheimilisskráningu barns tekur ákvarðanir um daglegt líf (skóli, heilsugæsla, tómstundir) ef barn býr aðallega hjá öðru foreldrinu, en ef samið er um skipta búsetu taka foreldrar þessar ákvarðanir sameiginlega. Samningar um forsjá, lögheimili og búsetu þurfa staðfestingu sýslumanns sem getur hafnað ef samningur hentar ekki barni. Lögin hafa áhrif á foreldra sem búa ekki saman og hafa sameiginlega forsjá barns.
This law clarifies how parents who do not live together can make agreements about their child's residence, including shared residence arrangements where the child lives equally with both parents. If the child primarily resides with one parent who has registered custody, that parent makes decisions about daily life (school, healthcare, activities), but if parents agree to shared residence, they make these decisions jointly. Agreements about custody, registered domicile, and residence require confirmation by the district commissioner, who can refuse if the agreement is not in the child's best interest. The law affects parents who live separately and share joint custody of a child.