VISITATION: PARENTING TIME
You deserve a
healthy relationship
with your child!
healthy relationship
with your child!
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Do you have an issue with child visitation? Today, most attorneys
and the Courts are apt to refer to this as scheduled "parenting
time." This removes the stigma of the old 'visitation' label.
We can help you achieve the parenting schedule that you deserve!
Regardless of the difficulties and/or tension between parents that
may exist, there is always an
innocent child or children
that suffers as a result.
Perhaps until now, nobody
has heard your voice,
or maybe they just have
not heard your voice through the right attorney.
We have successfully negotiated hundreds of parenting time
agreements through skilled negotiations or aggressive trial skills.
No matter whether you are a mother or father, you are still a
parent and deserve a healthy relationship with your child(ren). No
person should ever take that from you.
and the Courts are apt to refer to this as scheduled "parenting
time." This removes the stigma of the old 'visitation' label.
We can help you achieve the parenting schedule that you deserve!
Regardless of the difficulties and/or tension between parents that
may exist, there is always an
innocent child or children
that suffers as a result.
Perhaps until now, nobody
has heard your voice,
or maybe they just have
not heard your voice through the right attorney.
We have successfully negotiated hundreds of parenting time
agreements through skilled negotiations or aggressive trial skills.
No matter whether you are a mother or father, you are still a
parent and deserve a healthy relationship with your child(ren). No
person should ever take that from you.
Read more details about "parenting time": |
In most jurisdictions the nature of a couple's relationship changes
when a child is born to that relationship. In law, there may be
differences in the consequences depending on whether the
relationship is opposite-sex or same-sex, and whether it is a
marriage, a civil union or registered partnership, or cohabitation
(sometimes amounting to a common law marriage in some
jurisdictions). All children are, to a greater or lesser extent, subject
to the authority of their parents during the early years of their life,
during what is termed their minority.
States impose a range of incapacities until the children reach an
age when they are deemed sufficiently mature to take
responsibility for their own actions. Issues of access and custody
interact and overlap, and represent all of the aspects of care and
control that parents may exercise in relation to their children. The
extent to which the courts have jurisdiction to regulate access often
depends on the nature of the parents' relationship. In the event of a
marriage, the courts may adjust access rights as an aspect of
proceedings for legal separation, annulment or divorce. In the
event of other relationships, jurisdiction may be invoked by either
spouse, partner, natural parent (which may sometimes include
fathers from unlawful sexual relationships), adoptive parent, legal
guardian or by a guardian ad litem appointed to represent any
child's interests.
Generally speaking, vi sitation is considered only a privilege
granted to the non-custodial parent of any child of the family. The
standard visitation awards by the family court in most states of the
United States consists of alternating weekends and some holidays.
This usually amounts to four days a month unless the parent allows
an increase in shared parenting time.
However, the child, at or around the age of 13, depending on the
state, may choose in which parent's home to live without
government interference. Parents, and in some jurisdictions
grandparents, frequently believe that they have a right to visitation
or access. However, courts are often guided by the subjective
doctrine of the best interests of the child to deny parental or
grandparental access to the child(ren). This is commonly found in
cases when custody of the child(ren) is disputed and there is a
history of interference with visitation. In such high conflict cases,
there are often allegation of child abuse and/or domestic violence.
What Does "Best Interests of the Child" Mean? Determining
what the best interests of a child are depends upon many factors.
These factors may include:
• Child's age, gender, mental and physical health
• The health of the parents
• The lifestyle and other social factors of parents
• The love and emotional ties between the parent and the child
• The parents ability to provide food, shelter , clothing and
medical care
• The quality of schools in a given locale
• The child's preference if the child is over 12
• The ability and willingness of the parent to foster a healthy
relationship between child and other parent
• The general stability of the environment the child will live in
In high conflict cases, visitation may be supervised by a social
worker, psychologist, guardian ad litem, or other third party while
the non-custodial parent visits with the child.
Different Types of Custody Arrangements. There are generally
two main types of child custody:
• Legal Custody. In legal custody, the main issues is the right and
responsibility to make decisions about the rearing of the child. This
includes issues such as education, religion, medical care, and
discipline.
• Physical Custody. In physical custody, the right of a parent to
have a child live with him or her is involved. Courts will award legal
and physical custody of a child to either one parent (sole custody)
or both parents (joint custody).
Many non-custodial parents have visitation orders that allow the
child to visit with them without any supervision. These visits often
take place away from the custodial residence. Often the non-
custodial parent is granted overnight visitation, weekend visitation,
or vacation visitation.
Parents may also share custody a nd may agree to allow visitation.
In these situations a court order may not be needed, though
sometimes it is obtained to forestall later disputes about what the
parents had previously agreed to, and to allow the courts to have
some oversight over the children (which they normally have under
statute and under the parens patriae power).
The Need For a Family Attorney Experienced in Child Custody and
Visitation. If you are looking to establish or modify child custody or
visitation, it is generally wise to consult with an attorney like
myself, who specializes in these matters. I bring the experience you
need to deal with the complicated court system and will work to
protect your relationship with your child.
when a child is born to that relationship. In law, there may be
differences in the consequences depending on whether the
relationship is opposite-sex or same-sex, and whether it is a
marriage, a civil union or registered partnership, or cohabitation
(sometimes amounting to a common law marriage in some
jurisdictions). All children are, to a greater or lesser extent, subject
to the authority of their parents during the early years of their life,
during what is termed their minority.
States impose a range of incapacities until the children reach an
age when they are deemed sufficiently mature to take
responsibility for their own actions. Issues of access and custody
interact and overlap, and represent all of the aspects of care and
control that parents may exercise in relation to their children. The
extent to which the courts have jurisdiction to regulate access often
depends on the nature of the parents' relationship. In the event of a
marriage, the courts may adjust access rights as an aspect of
proceedings for legal separation, annulment or divorce. In the
event of other relationships, jurisdiction may be invoked by either
spouse, partner, natural parent (which may sometimes include
fathers from unlawful sexual relationships), adoptive parent, legal
guardian or by a guardian ad litem appointed to represent any
child's interests.
Generally speaking, vi sitation is considered only a privilege
granted to the non-custodial parent of any child of the family. The
standard visitation awards by the family court in most states of the
United States consists of alternating weekends and some holidays.
This usually amounts to four days a month unless the parent allows
an increase in shared parenting time.
However, the child, at or around the age of 13, depending on the
state, may choose in which parent's home to live without
government interference. Parents, and in some jurisdictions
grandparents, frequently believe that they have a right to visitation
or access. However, courts are often guided by the subjective
doctrine of the best interests of the child to deny parental or
grandparental access to the child(ren). This is commonly found in
cases when custody of the child(ren) is disputed and there is a
history of interference with visitation. In such high conflict cases,
there are often allegation of child abuse and/or domestic violence.
What Does "Best Interests of the Child" Mean? Determining
what the best interests of a child are depends upon many factors.
These factors may include:
• Child's age, gender, mental and physical health
• The health of the parents
• The lifestyle and other social factors of parents
• The love and emotional ties between the parent and the child
• The parents ability to provide food, shelter , clothing and
medical care
• The quality of schools in a given locale
• The child's preference if the child is over 12
• The ability and willingness of the parent to foster a healthy
relationship between child and other parent
• The general stability of the environment the child will live in
In high conflict cases, visitation may be supervised by a social
worker, psychologist, guardian ad litem, or other third party while
the non-custodial parent visits with the child.
Different Types of Custody Arrangements. There are generally
two main types of child custody:
• Legal Custody. In legal custody, the main issues is the right and
responsibility to make decisions about the rearing of the child. This
includes issues such as education, religion, medical care, and
discipline.
• Physical Custody. In physical custody, the right of a parent to
have a child live with him or her is involved. Courts will award legal
and physical custody of a child to either one parent (sole custody)
or both parents (joint custody).
Many non-custodial parents have visitation orders that allow the
child to visit with them without any supervision. These visits often
take place away from the custodial residence. Often the non-
custodial parent is granted overnight visitation, weekend visitation,
or vacation visitation.
Parents may also share custody a nd may agree to allow visitation.
In these situations a court order may not be needed, though
sometimes it is obtained to forestall later disputes about what the
parents had previously agreed to, and to allow the courts to have
some oversight over the children (which they normally have under
statute and under the parens patriae power).
The Need For a Family Attorney Experienced in Child Custody and
Visitation. If you are looking to establish or modify child custody or
visitation, it is generally wise to consult with an attorney like
myself, who specializes in these matters. I bring the experience you
need to deal with the complicated court system and will work to
protect your relationship with your child.
