What’s the difference between physical custody & legal custody?

Legal custody refers to a parent's right to make important decisions about their child such as what religion (if any) the child will be raised in, whether the child should receive medical treatment or undergo a major medical procedure, where the child will go to school, and whether the child can get married or join the military before 18 years of age. When both parents share this right and must make these decisions together, they are said to share "joint legal custody. Under Utah Code Section 30-3-10, joint legal custody is presumed to be in the best interests of the child, unless there is domestic violence in the family, the child has special needs, the parents live far apart, or there is some other factor weighing against a joint custody award the court considers relevant.

Physical custody refers to a parent's right to have their child physically with them.  When both parents have the right to have more than 110 overnights with their child per year, they are said to share "joint physical custody."

Call Fair Price Lawyers today at (801) 999-0104 for a consultation with a Utah child custody attorney.