Visitation

Visitation is the agreement parents negotiate after a divorce or separation as part of the child custody plan. Visitation can take a variety of forms and generally can be left up to the parents to negotiate, if they are willing to work together. Parents who cannot agree on a visitation schedule will have a schedule developed by the courts for them.

Although visitation agreements are generally flexible, there are some common provisions which are included. For instance, parents should expect alternate weekend visitation with the non-custodial parent, mid-week visitation with the non-custodial parent, sharing of the child during periods of school recess - winter, spring and summer, holiday visits, and open and frequent telephone contact by the noncustodial parent. Unfortunately, each family handles visitation in different ways. For some it can be a critical method to keep the family close; for other families it can create strife.

Consider, visitation agreements may need to be updated as a child ages and moves through different life stages, and they should be as flexible as possible.