Visitation rights are granted to non-custodial parents after divorce. The child visitation agreement mentions all the terms and conditions regarding the visits and schedule.
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Factors considered for child visitation
The court aims to protect the child’s interests. Before making any decision, they consider factors such as the child’s age and health, the parent’s house, employment status and history, and daily schedules. If the child is old enough, the court may ask them for a preference in living. The courts intend to ensure that both parents are actively involved in the child’s life. But in certain instances where abuse or violence has occurred, the judge considers it for visitation and allows visits with supervision or no visits.
The child visitation agreement and its contents.
A child visitation agreement is signed between two people to prepare a schedule for visiting their child. The visitation arrangement includes details regarding the visitation rights of the non-custodial parent, duties, and responsibilities for their child. The parents are supposed to reach a conclusion and prepare an agreement on their own. If they fail to do so, there might be court intervention. An agreement of visitation involves:
- The primary location of the child.
- The regular activities of the child.
- Restrictions and instructions for any future changes and modifications.
Creation of child visitation schedule
The parent responsible for sole custody is allowed to create the schedule for child visits. The schedule is submitted to the court and converted to a court order after approval from the judge.
Cooperation from both parents can facilitate the process, and the agreement can be reached without court intervention. However, changing the circumstances is possible, so getting the court involved in the agreement is suggested. This helps avoid any issues later on, as approved by the judge makes it legally enforceable.
Types of Child Visitation Arrangements
Generally, the arrangements for child visitation can be divided into two different types. They are as follows:
- Unsupervised visitation
This is the most commonly used form of visitation. Under this type of visitation, the non-custodial parent is allowed to spend time with the child without any supervision from a third party. That person must be neutral.
- Supervised visitation
The court may grant visitation with supervision in parenting issues, mental illnesses, violence, substance abuse, kidnapping, etc. The time and length of visits are determined by the judge and the supervision of a neutral third person as a supervisor, helping to avoid any harm to the child and allowing safe visits.