What is Joint legal custody and how is it different form sole custody?
Joint legal custody gives the non-residential parent the right to participate in major decisions about the children’s upbringing. In the traditional sole custody arrangement, the non-custodial parent has a right to a limited amount of contact with the child, and the requirement to pay child support. There are disadvantages to the non-custodial parent for example, that parent cannot access his or her own child’s medical records without the custodial parent’s permission. Joint legal custody does not affect the child’s living arrangements. Often it is granted with the standard residence arrangement, in which the child lives with one parent but is permitted to visit the other parent certain days per month. Many states presume that joint legal custody is in the child’s best interest. In those states, the court must award joint legal or make a specific finding that joint legal custody would be detrimental to the child. A denial of joint legal custody might be based on a finding that the part
