What Is Joint Legal Custody?

If you are approaching divorce and wondering about child custody in Georgia, you have come to the right place. Likewise, if you are an unmarried parent or parent-to-be, you should be vitally concerned about custody and visitation issues. Sanders Law, P.C. has more than 30 years’ experience in family law in the Macon area. This law firm has helped hundreds of families get through divorces and child custody disputes over the years.

I am Sanders Law, P.C., a child custody lawyer who is passionate about children’s well-being. I work hard to ensure that my clients are prepared to make decisions in their family law cases that will provide stability for sons and daughters of divorcing and unmarried parents.

Common Questions And Misconceptions About Joint Custody

When people hear the term “joint custody,” they often envision an arrangement whereby children go back and forth between two homes, spending equal or almost equal amounts of time with each parent. While this scenario is common, specific percentages of parenting time each parent has may differ greatly.

Joint legal custody, on the other hand, may still apply even when one parent has primary custody and the other parent’s parenting time amounts to “visitation.”

Shared Custody Does Not Only Refer To Where Children Sleep Each Night

Many clients and prospective clients of Sanders Law, P.C. look for clarification on the difference between joint legal and joint physical custody.

In a joint legal custody arrangement, both parents provide guidance and give permission for matters having to do with children’s education, medical care and extracurricular activities. Both parents have input into key decisions in children’s lives in a joint legal custody arrangement. For joint legal custody to work, parents must be able to communicate and put children’s interests first.

Joint physical custody, on the other hand, refers to quantities of time children spend with each parent.

Are you considering a joint custody agreement? Get the information you need to make the best decisions for your child or children. Schedule a consultation with family law attorney Sanders Law, P.C. by calling 478-207-5100 or sending an email inquiry.