Child custody is broken down into two types — physical custody and legal custody. Legal custody generally refers to decisions made regarding the children's education, health care and religion. Physical custody refers to where the children will live. Parenting plans include various arrangements of these two types of custody:
- Joint physical custody: In joint physical custody, parents share physical custody and the responsibility of providing a stable home environment. The child may live with one parent during the school year and another during the summer months, for example. Broder & Orland LLC offers creative solutions to allow both parents an equal opportunity to raise and spend time with their children.
- Sole physical custody: Some parents confuse sole physical custody with being denied access to their children. While it is true that sole physical custody may be granted to a parent if the other parent is considered "unfit," in many cases it simply refers to where a child will live and have a permanent address. Sole physical custody is beneficial in some situations because it offers a more stable environment than moving the child from home to home.
- Joint legal custody: Joint legal custody is the most common custodial arrangement because it gives both parents equal rights to make important decisions for their children and provides them with access to medical records, school records and other legal documents. Generally, joint legal custody will be granted unless there is overwhelming evidence to do otherwise.
- Sole legal custody: Sole legal custody gives one parent the sole right to make important decisions on a child's behalf. Typically, sole legal custody is awarded in situations where domestic violence is evident or other circumstances are present that justify a decision to deny legal custody to one of the parents.
Physical Custody Lawyers Serving Greenwich, Westport and All of Fairfield County
At Broder & Orland LLC , our lawyers have a firm understanding of the different types of custody. We work to reach solutions that are tailored to our clients' unique circumstances and that benefit the parents and children alike. While we encourage our clients to resolve custody battles through mediation or other collaborative methods, we are skilled trial attorneys who will tenaciously represent our clients' interests in court when necessary.
Please contact our law office in Westport, Connecticut, at 203-222-4949 to speak to a family law attorney about your child custody matter.
