Does Sole Custody Still Exist?

Sole custody is kind of like Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster – everyone has heard of it but few have actually seen it.  Clients tell me all of the time that they want sole custody – either because that is what they believe they should have, or because they have justified it based upon the other party's conduct.  Some seem shocked when I tell them that it is very unlikely to occur – even in the worst of cases.  I regale them of horror stories where, at the end of the case, either the expert has recommended joint legal custody or the court has ordered it.  This happens even in cases where conduct has arguably been abusive.  This happens in cases even where there is no ability for the parties to communicate or cooperate.