Custody in current legal parlance encompasses both legal and physical custody.

Legal custody relates to fundamental decision making, such as schools, religion, major medical decisions. Emergencies (if there is no time) and day decisions would be undertaken by whoever has the child at the time. Physical custody relates to the day to day physical caretaking  / residence  of the child. It is possible for the court to mandate joint legal custody, but with one primary caretaker (physical custodian).

The current trend is for legal custody to be shared, though there may be reference to a tiebreak event.

^{THIS INFORMATION IS OF GENERAL NATURE ONLY AND NOT TO BE RELIED UPON IN ANY SPECIFIC SITUATION. IN ALL CASES CONSULT AN ATTORNEY FOR PROPER ADVICE}