What exactly does it mean when a court states,”Both parties has been awarded with joint custody of the minor children with physical custody awarded to the Plaintiff”?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What exactly does it mean when a court states,”Both parties has been awarded with joint custody of the minor children with physical custody awarded to the Plaintiff”?
Asked on November 22, 2011 under Family Law, Georgia
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
There are two types of custody which are physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody refers to where the children are living. If one parent is awarded physical custody, that means the children are living with that parent.
Legal custody means making decisions about the children such as their education, health care, etc. In this case both parents have been awarded legal custody which is what is meant by joint custody.
The court makes decisions on custody based on what is considered to be the best interests of the child/children. If there are changed circumstances in the future, it is possible that custody could be modified. However, courts are reluctant to modify physical custody because it is too disruptive for the child to be removed from the home of the parent where the child is accustomed to living.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.