Sacramento, CA family law attorney Mary Molinaro explains the difference between physical and legal custody in California. In California, legal custody refers to the decision-making authority concerning significant aspects of a child’s life, such as selecting the child’s doctor and determining which school the child will attend. Various designations exist for legal custody, including sole legal custody and joint legal custody.

Conversely, physical custody pertains to the actual time that children spend with each parent. The specific labels for physical custody are less significant, as parents can have joint physical custody, sole physical custody, or primary physical custody with one parent. What matters most is the actual time share between the parents.