In Washington the legislature enacted laws that do not use the terms "legal custody" or "physical custody." Some states still use those terms but in Washington we have a residential schedule and that is where the child or children will be residing every day of the year until they're 18. The other part of what people think of as custody is “decision-making.” Who gets to make the major decisions such as educational decisions, private versus public school, non-emergency medical care, orthodontia counseling, driver's license etc. Absent compelling circumstances, those decisions are generally made as a joint decision between the mother and the father.
