When it comes to child custody, there are marked differences between legal and physical custody in the state of Arizona. Child custody and family law attorney at the Law Offices of Paul Lenkowsky has over three decades of experience serving clients throughout the Bullhead City, Arizona, area. If you're going through a divorce or are considering revisiting your child custody arrangements, Attorney Lenkowsky will provide you with the trusted legal counsel you need.

Here, the Law Offices of Paul Lenkowsky discuss the differences between legal custody and physical custody.

Legal Custody

In the state of Arizona, legal custody is now referred to as legal decision-making, which is an appropriate name change given the definition of legal custody. Legal custody is granted to the parent who is legally charged with making decisions on behalf of the minor child. Educational decisions, health care choices, religious determinations, and cultural environments are all aspects of this form of child custody. In the majority of cases, parents are awarded joint legal decision-making so they can continue co-parenting the child in an equitable manner.

Physical Custody

Physical custody and visitation rights are now collectively called parenting time in Arizona. The parent given physical custody is the one the minor child lives with the majority of the time, while the other parent receives visitation time. Some parents are given joint parenting time, in which the child splits their time between both parents evenly.

Call the Law Offices of Paul Lenkowsky at (928) 758-4815 to schedule a consultation with a child custody and family law attorney today. Visit the website to learn more about Attorney Lenkowsky’s background and other practice areas. By understanding the differences between legal and physical custody, you can work with your attorney to make the best decisions for the future of your family.