What's the difference between joint physical custody and joint legal custody?

Child support can be very complex because involves different types of child custody agreements. For instance, sole custody is when one parent has custody and the other may have visitation. The parent without custody may pay child support to make sure their child or children are taken care of financially. However, there is a major difference between joint physical custody and joint legal custody.

Joint physical custody is the child spends their time living with both parents. Although physical custody varies according to individual schedules, they may include a child living with one parent on the weekend, during holidays or during the school year. Another option with physical joint custody is known as bird’s nesting. This is where the child doesn’t alternate between two households, but lives in one house. The parents live at the house during their scheduled time to have custody with the child.

Joint legal custody doesn’t have anything to do with where the child lives. Joint legal custody is where both parents have the right to make decisions regarding their child. Typically, the decisions made are regarding where the child goes to school or what religion the child practices. Parents must make these decisions together because the legal custody is given to both of them.

It’s best to talk with a lawyer about child support and child custody issues. The lawyer will explain what rights parents have regarding child support and joint legal and/ physical custody.