Last week, we discussed the concept of joint legal custody. Today, let's turn to     1    . In recent years, shared or joint physical custody has gained tremendous popularity as a means of     2    after a divorce. While the court has the final word on custody decisions, the judge upholds     3    .
    Physical custody refers to the parent's right to have the children actually reside     4    . Shared physical custody can take many forms, from summers at father's and the school year with mother,     5    every other day. Children have two primary residences, even if     6    is not equal. As we have learned last week, joint legal custody refers to     7    for making major decisions about a child's welfare including education,     8    , regardless of where the children are living. Frequently divorcing couples     9    without sharing physical custody.
    We may ask: Why has joint physical custody     10    ? One positive reason is that women and men are realizing more     11    , and more men want to have a primary role in their lives. Many fathers are no longer content to be     12    while Mom retains sole custody. As traditional marital roles change, so are our concepts of the best way to     13    .
    Another reason for the increase in popularity relates to the increase in mothers who must work full-time.     14    becomes quite difficult for a mother if she has a demanding full-time job, especially one     15    . Many couples, whose pre-separation lives were already stretched thin, find they must     16    to manage the childcare needs.
    In some cases, the choice of shared physical custody may help avoid a prolonged, bitter custody battle which is     17    . Because of the very nature of the adversarial process in a divorce, conflict is often exacerbated and     18    . In most cases, a judge will rule in favor of what is     19    of the child. Therefore, when there are     20    , joint physical custody is an obvious solution.