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Yes, you can have sole legal custody while still sharing joint physical custody of your child. Here’s the breakdown of what that means:
Sole Legal Custody:
You have the exclusive right to make major decisions about your child's life, including education, healthcare, and religious upbringing.
Your ex does not have a say in these big decisions, even if they share physical custody.
Joint Physical Custody:
The child splits time between both parents' homes according to an agreed-upon schedule.
Time may be split 50/50, or one parent may have the child more frequently.
Why Would This Arrangement Happen?
If one parent is deemed unfit to make sound legal decisions but is still capable of providing a safe physical environment.
To maintain the child’s relationship with both parents, even if decision-making is best left to one.
It often happens when parents live near each other and want the child to maintain regular contact with both sides.
Example Scenario:
You make all decisions about school, medical care, and religion, but your child spends alternating weeks or weekends with your ex.
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