Most parents place a high value on spending time with their children. In some cases, other people may have strong connections with their children the parents wish to preserve.
Determining visitation rights in Southbury can be complex. A skilled and experienced visitation attorney can help you maintain your relationships. Call Dolan Divorce Lawyers, PLLC, today.
The law gives legal parents the right to spend time with their children. When parents divorce or separate, each has the right to custody and parenting time with their children. This right extends only to legal parents.
A child’s biological mother is a legal parent; if she is married when she gives birth, her husband is also the child’s legal parent. When parents are unmarried and do not marry after a child’s birth, both parents must sign an Acknowledgement of Parentage to establish that the father is the child’s legal parent. If parents do not sign the acknowledgment, either parent can establish legal parental rights by bringing a paternity petition in court.
Adoptive parents have full parental rights. The Connecticut Parentage Act provides a straightforward procedure for same-sex couples and parents who have babies through surrogacy and other assisted reproductive technologies to establish the legal parentage of their children. An attorney in Southbury can advise any parent who is not the biological parent of their child how to establish their parental rights, including determining the right to visitation.
The children’s best interests are the most critical factor in determining parenting time. When these interests demand it, a Connecticut judge can deny visitation, grant limited or restricted visitation, or terminate parental rights entirely.
When parents have an existing relationship with their children, judges will prioritize preserving that relationship unless there are circumstances that would demand otherwise in order to protect the children’s best interests. Circumstances that could frustrate visitation may involve issues such as domestic violence or drug abuse. In these cases, a judge may order limited supervised visitation to ensure the children’s safety while at the same time maintaining the parental relationship.
When a parent has no prior relationship with a child, courts may be reluctant to grant visitation, especially if the child is older. This situation sometimes occurs when a man’s paternity is not proved until several years after the child is born. Any parent in this situation should seek representation from a family lawyer.
People without legal parental rights often develop important, mutually beneficial relationships with their children. However, when family circumstances change, these relationships may be disrupted by children’s relationships with their grandparents, stepparents, and the partners of legal parents.
People who have had a parent-like relationship with a child have no legal right to custody. However, Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-59 allows a court to order visitation when the party seeking contact proves that severing the relationship harms the child.
People seeking contact over a legal parent’s objection must meet a high evidentiary bar to be granted visitation. A lawyer in Southbury can explain the factors judges evaluate in these cases and advise whether a petition for visitation is viable in a specific case.
Determining visitation rights in Southbury requires a judge to evaluate multiple factors. The law prioritizes the children’s best interests, which can impact a person’s visitation rights.
If you are unsure about your right to seek visitation or concerned that you may not get adequate time with your children, contact an attorney at our firm today. We can advocate for you and help you meet your visitation goals.
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