Difference Between Physical & Legal Child Custody

Two Types of Physical Child Custody

The typical child custody order will state two types of physical child custody,  Primary Physical Child Custody and Partial Physical Child Custody.  Primary physical child custody means the parent that has the child the majority of the time and partial physical child custody means the parent that has the child less than the majority of the time.  There’s no advantage or disadvantage to having primary or partial physical child custody other than the fact that one parent has a bit more time with the child than the other.  For example, if one parent has 53% time with the child, then that’s the parent with primary physical child custody and the other parent that has the child 47% of the time is the parent with partial physical child custody.  And that’s it.  There’s nothing more to it.  .

Legal Child Custody

The typical child custody order will state the parent who has legal child custody.  The parent with legal child custody has the right to make major decisions on behalf of the child like medical, religious and educational decisions.  Assuming that there’s no big problems with either parent, a typical custody order states that both parents share legal custody of the child, and both parents have the right to make major decisions on behalf of the child.  When the parents can’t agree, then the remedy is to go to court and have the court decide.  If over time the parents demonstrate that they’re incapable of coopering in make major decisions on behalf of the child, then the court may change the custody order and give legal custody to just one of the parents—usually the parent that is not acting unreasonably.

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"Mike was great to work with! He was thorough and he made sure I knew he was there to answer any questions and concerns I had. He made the situation we were dealing with very easy and handled it in a very timely manner. I would highly recommend Mike to anyone"

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"Very responsive to inquiries and innovative in use of services to keep all file documentation and file notes for secure and ready use by clients."

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"I have known Mike Dippolito for 35 years; however, If he didn’t do an exceptional job representing me as a lawyer, I wouldn’t post this review. I hired Mike to represent me in a custody case. Mike clearly explained the steps he would take to prepare my case. As one step led to the next, Mike presented the scenarios we would encounter and he provided the legal basis for what were my best options. There was little emotional component to the decision-making. Mike presented the legal basis for my case and allowed me to make the final decision on how to proceed based on what the case law indicated the likely outcome would be. Ultimately, I never went to court, but the issue was resolved to my satisfaction. I highly recommend The Peoples Law Firm, and Mike Dippolito. The fee structure and methodology were agreed to in advance so there were no surprises. Given the stress of entering into a legal proceeding, I appreciated the lack of drama I had while dealing with my lawyer."

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"I’ve known Mike for many years and consulted with him on many legal matters. Most recently, I needed a power of attorney for my son who is in the military. Mike’s system is done all electronically and I was able to log on to a secure portal in his law firm and get the document. I would recommend Mike to anyone who is looking for a professional lawyer."

Darrin

"I have known Michael for 5 years. I asked him to assist me in a credit issue but he recommended that I call a lawyer specializing in credit and bankruptcy. The legal advice was excellent and the result was a $500 expense to save $4000. I appreciated his assistance. Even though he did not earn any fee from me, his analysis on my situation was accurate. I would recommend him to anyone interested in obtaining a professional lawyer."

Gary Scott

"Everything very professional and knowledgeable, and a real people person"

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Michaelangelo Dippolito 

Chester County Pennsylvania Divorce and Family Law Lawyer with ThePeoplesLawFirm.com

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I have known Mike Dippolito for 35 years; however, If he didn’t do an exceptional job representing me as a lawyer, I wouldn’t post this review. I hired Mike to represent me in a custody case. Mike clearly explained the steps he would take to prepare my case. As one step led to the next, Mike presented the scenarios we would encounter and he provided the legal basis for what were my best options. There was little emotional component to the decision-making. Mike presented the legal basis for my case and allowed me to make the final decision on how to proceed based on what the case law indicated the likely outcome would be. Ultimately, I never went to court, but the issue was resolved to my satisfaction. I highly recommend The Peoples Law Firm, and Mike Dippolito. The fee structure and methodology were agreed to in advance so there were no surprises. Given the stress of entering into a legal proceeding, I appreciated the lack of drama I had while dealing with my lawyer.

- Joe

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I have known Mike Dippolito for 35 years; however, If he didn't do an exceptional job representing me as a lawyer, I wouldn't post this review. I hired Mike to represent me in a custody case. Mike clearly explained the steps he would take to prepare my case. As one step led to the next, Mike presented the scenarios we would encounter and he provided the legal basis for what were my best options. There was little emotional component to the decision-making. Mike presented the legal basis for my case and allowed me to make the final decision on how to proceed based on what the case law indicated the likely outcome would be. Ultimately, I never went to court, but the issue was resolved to my satisfaction. I highly recommend The Peoples Law Firm, and Mike Dippolito. The fee structure and methodology were agreed to in advance so there were no surprises. Given the stress of entering into a legal proceeding, I appreciated the lack of drama I had while dealing with my lawyer.

- Joe

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Very responsive to inquiries and innovative in use of eservices to keep all file documentation and file notes for secure and ready use by clients.

- John

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Mike was great to work with! He was thorough and he made sure I knew he was there to answer any questions and concerns I had. He made the situation we were dealing with very easy and handled it in a very timely manner. I would highly recommend Mike to anyone.

- Leigh

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I’ve known Mike for many years and consulted with him on many legal matters. Most recently, I needed a power of attorney for my son who is in the military. Mike’s system is done all electronically and I was able to log on to a secure portal in his law firm and get the document. I would recommend Mike to anyone who is looking for a professional lawyer.

- Darrin

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I have known Michael for 5 years. I asked him to assist me in a credit issue but he recommended that I call a lawyer specializing in credit and bankruptcy. The legal advice was excellent and the result was a $500 expense to save $4000. I appreciated his assistance. Even though he did not earn any fee from me, his analysis on my situation was accurate. I would recommend him to anyone interested in obtaining a professional lawyer.

- Gary Scott

---

Everything very professional and knowledgeable, and a real people person

- Lou Mancini

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