Because visitation schedules affect the daily lives of children, parents, and guardians, it is essential to get them right. If you are in the process of putting together a schedule or want to make changes to a current order, a Hartford visitation lawyer can help. A family law attorney can answer your questions and help draft an order that works well for you and your child.
Visitation schedules are approved by a family court as part of a child custody agreement. These agreements should include terms specific to a child or family situation, including provisions for day-to-day life, such as where the child will stay each day, who will provide transportation to school and other activities, and more. The agreement should also address transfers between parents and guardians.
A visitation agreement should also include a description of how parents are expected to handle holidays and school breaks. For example, some parents may agree to rotate or alternate who has the children for vacations, holidays, and religious festivities. A Hartford attorney could help a parent draft a fair visitation schedule to potentially avoid future conflict.
If a parent does not follow an approved visitation agreement, it is considered a violation of a court order. Under Connecticut General Statute § 46b-87, a court may hold a parent who violates a visitation schedule in contempt and make them pay the other party’s legal fees.
Visitation agreements are generally reflected in the custody agreement. For example, parents who have shared physical custody have essentially an equally amount of parenting time with their children each month. Visitation agreements where one parent has primary physical custody typically list out the certain days and times the other parent will exercise his or her parenting time with the child, for example every other weekend.
Additionally, legal custody, or the legal right of each parent to make major decisions for the child, can remain joint, even if one parent has primary physical custody.
Custody agreements contain much more detail about the day-to-day life of the child and must be clear. These agreements outline important items, such as:
A skilled Hartford attorney could help ensure that the visitation agreement is fair and clear to be in the best interests of both the parents and the child.
Drafting a visitation agreement is a crucial step in protecting your time with your child. If you need help creating a fair agreement that protects your parental rights, speak with a Hartford visitation lawyer. Our team can help you prepare a schedule that works for both you and your co-parent. To get started, call today.