Is joint physical custody the same as joint legal custody?

No, joint physical custody and joint legal custody are not the same thing. In Washington, joint physical custody is a type of child custody arrangement in which both parents share a roughly equal amount of time with the child. Essentially, the child splits his or her time living with both parents, often with the child spending alternate weeks or weekends with each parent. On the other hand, joint legal custody is a type of arrangement in which both parents share the responsibilities of making decisions for the child, such as school and medical decisions. This arrangement does not necessarily mean that the parents have equal physical custody rights, just shared legal decision making. One parent may have more physical custody than the other, yet still share the responsibility of making decisions for the child.

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Is joint physical custody the same as joint legal custody?

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