What is the different between “custody,” “legal custody,” “physical custody,” “shared custody,” “partial custody,” and “visitation”?
“Custody” means the legal right to keep, control, guard, care for and preserve a child and includes terms “legal custody,” “physical custody,” and “shared custody.” “Legal custody” means the legal right to make major decisions affecting the best interests of a minor child, including buy not limited to, medical, religious and educational decisions. “Physical custody” means actual physical control of a child. “Shared custody” means shared legal or shared physical custody or both of a child in such a way as to assure the child of frequent and continuing contact, including physical access, to both parties. “Partial custody” means the right to take possession of a child away from the custodial person for a certain period of time. “Visitation” means the right to visit a child, but does not include the right to remove the child from the custodial person’s control. Note: The above definitions are taken from the PA Rule of Civil Procedure 1915.1 and 23 Pa.C.S. § 5302.
