Different Types of Child Custody

Legal Custody

• Major decisions regarding medical, educational and religious issues fall under legal custody. Examples include school choice, location of residence, medical treatments, religious beliefs and church attendance.
  
  

Joint Legal Custody

• Both parents have the authority to make major decisions regarding their child. Parents must reach an agreement about all major decisions and if they cannot, they must ask the court to intervene. Parents can share joint legal custody even if one parent has physical custody.
  
  

Sole Legal Custody

• One parent is responsible for making all decisions regarding the child without needing input from the other parent.
  
  

Physical Custody

• Physical custody refers to where the child lives. Parents can have sole or joint physical custody.
  
  

Joint Physical Custody

• Children in a joint physical custody arrangement have two residences and spend an equal amount of time with each parent. In some situations, the time spend with each parent will vary. For instance, if distance is a factor, children may reside with one parent during the school year and with the other parent during the summer.
  
  

Sole Physical Custody

• Sole or primary physical custody means a child lives with one parent and visits the other parent. The amount of visitation or parenting time allowed will vary with each family depending on such issues as work schedules, distance, abuse problems and/or schooling.