There are seven types of custody in Pennsylvania:
- Legal custody: The legal right to make major decisions affecting the best interest of a minor child, including medical, religious and educational decisions.
- Physical custody: The actual physical possession and control of the minor child.
- Partial custody: The right to have the child away from the custodial parent for a certain period of time.
- Shared custody: An order awarding shared legal or shared physical custody or both of a minor child in a way to assure the child’s frequent and continuing contact with both parents. Shared custody need not be equal in time split between homes of parents.
- Visitation: The right to visit the minor child. This does not include the right to remove a child from the custodial parent’s control.
- Temporary custody: An order awarding physical possession of a child pending the final determination of custody.
- Sole custody: An order awarding sole custody to one parent only when it is in the best interest of the child.
