Category: Family Law

The difference between legal custody vs physical custody is simple. Legal custody is the right to make decisions about a child’s health, education, welfare, and other such issues. Physical custody is the child’s physical location (where the child lives). Court orders always designate a primary legal and physical custodian. Usually, the same parent has primary…

Back in the joint custody era, which lasted from about 1970 to 2010, sole legal custody arrangements were rather common. In those days, children “lived with” one parent and “visited” the other parent. So, a sole legal custody order was basically a limited visitation custody order. Beginning around 2010, most states passed co-parenting laws. The…