Tug-of-love is a term used to describe a custody battle over a child, where both parents or guardians assert their right to care for the child. This legal term can be replaced by words such as a custody dispute, parental conflict, or a contested custody battle. Another synonym for tug-of-love is a parenting disagreement, which simply means that the parents have divergent opinions on how to raise their child. In addition, terms like custody fight, legal fight, and family court battle can also be used as alternatives to tug-of-love. Regardless of which synonym is used, the term connotes the distress of the child who is caught in the middle of their parents' dispute.