If you and your spouse divorce and have children together, you will need to address custody and visitation. The court may allow one parent to have physical custody, meaning the child lives with that parent, and give the other parent visitation rights. Visitation is also sometimes called parenting time.
Best interests of the child
When deciding how to grant custody and visitation, the court will consider the best interests of the child. Its goal is to ensure that the parents both maintain a strong relationship with the child.
The visitation schedule ensures that the noncustodial parent has set time with the child which may include weekends, vacations, holidays and other special occasions. The parents may choose to alternate these dates with court approval.
If the parents can communicate positively, they may be able to create a visitation schedule on their own, without court intervention. Then, they can submit it to the court for review and approval.
Supervised visitation
There are some situations where the court may allow only supervised visitation. This is usually when there is a safety concern or to ensure the child’s well-being while they are with the noncustodial parent.
Supervised visitation may be ordered if the noncustodial parent has a history of substance abuse issues, if there have been allegations of abuse or or a mental health condition that could endanger the child.
If cases involving allegations of neglect, supervised visitation may help the parent and child to build their relationship gradually. The goal of supervised visitation is to have safe, controlled conditions for the child.