When a California couple can no longer maintain their relationship and choose to part ways, having children and determining the custody and visitation rights can be one of the most difficult aspects to deal with. The primary factor is the best interests of the child, but both parents will have their own viewpoint as to what that entails. Parents should be prepared for these issues and have legal assistance to settle it to their satisfaction.
After custody has been determined, one of the next key steps is having a grasp on what the alternatives are with visitation orders. The parent who does not have the child for half the time will get visitation rights. There are the following options with granting visitation: there will be a visitation schedule; the order can be for reasonable visitation; there can be supervised visitation or there can be no visitation.
With a visitation schedule, the parents can have a detailed schedule that accounts for their needs and the child’s needs. This keeps the parents from having disagreements and prevents confusion. The parents and the courts can work together to formulate an organized visitation plan. In it, there will be the dates and times for the child to be with the respective parents.
Included in the visitation schedule can be special occasions like birthdays, holidays and more. Vacations and accounting for summer holidays can be in the schedule as well. Reasonable visitation does not specifically schedule when the child will be with either parent, but it is beneficial for parents who are on relatively good terms to be able to negotiate and determine where the child will be as situations arise. This might be untenable for parents who are not on amicable terms.
Supervised visitation is for those who are concerned about the child’s well-being when with the other parent. The custodial parent, another adult or a professional can be the supervisor. This can also be useful if there was a long separation between child and parent and they need to become familiar with one another. No visitation rights are self-explanatory. This can happen when there is danger to the child and it is in his or her best interests not to have contact with the parent.
One of the most difficult to navigate issues with children is visitation rights. For parents who are in the middle of ending their union or are having disagreements about how visitation rights will be addressed, having legal assistance to deal with the case is critical. A law firm that with experience in all aspects of family law, child custody and support should be called for help with the situation.
Fields marked with an * are required