Did you know that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce? And of those divorces, more than six out of ten involve children. For parents seeking a divorce, consideration of your child/children is of utmost importance. One of the ways to manage children’s time with their parent and/or grandparents is through visitation.
INFORMATION ABOUT VISITATION
1. Visitation rights are permission granted by the court to a non-custodial parent to visit his or her child or children. Custody may also refer to visitation rights extended to grandparents. In divorce cases where one parent is awarded sole custody, the other parent usually is granted visitation, provided it is in the best interest of the child. He or she may not be granted visitation due to:
- excessive use of alcohol or illicit drugs
- evidence or history of verbal or physical abuse
- evidence of history of endangering the child
If there is a concern of abuse or endangerment, the visitation may be supervised by an adult other than the custodial parent, who is approved by the court.
2. When deciding on custody and visitation the wishes of the child are taken into account, depending on the child’s age and maturity.
3. In an amicable situation, the details of visitation are often determined by the child’s schedule and the parents’ availability. In a situation where the parents are uncooperative, the court may impose a schedule of dates and times for visitation. Visitation rights may be modified if there is a significant change for either parent or the child such as a new job, a new school, a parent not following the visitation schedule or a parent’s involvement in illicit activity.
4. Grandparents also may have visitation. This should be worked out with the custodial parent. If that isn’t an option, grandparents may opt for mediation or to take the parent to court to be able to spend time with their grandchild/ren.
IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR CHILD OR GRANDCHILD’S VISITATION SCHEDULE, CONTACT US TO MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME WITHTHEM.