Pursuing an Appropriate Visitation Plan
In some divorce and paternity cases involving child custody, the courts will grant sole legal and physical custody to one parent. In most of these situations, the other parent will get some amount of visitation time with the child. Sometimes, visitation periods can increase over time.
At the Diamond Law Firm in Los Angeles, we are experienced at helping clients pursue all types of child visitation arrangements. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced family law attorneys.
Understanding Visitation in Relation to Child Custody
In California — as in most other states — the legal standard for child custody and visitation arrangements is the best interests of the child. In most cases, the child's interests are served by giving both parents joint child custody. However, there are exceptions to this general rule.
Child visitation is an approach that does not give a parent all of the rights associated with child custody but does give that parent an opportunity to spend time with the child.
Sometimes, if a parent has trouble with drugs or alcohol, a history of domestic violence, unsuitable living arrangements for the child, or another barrier to custody, it may be that visitation — which can be supervised or unsupervised — is more appropriate.
Visitation is also often granted in paternity cases where one parent has clearly been the primary caretaker during the beginning of the child's life.
Using Stepped-Up Visitation to Build Parent-Child Relationships
Sometimes, when a child's parent has not previously been active as a parent, the courts will prefer to grant visitation on a stepped-up basis. The goal of stepped-up visitation is to protect children's best interests by slowly easing them into new parenting situations.
Stepped-up visitation usually starts with an hour or two per week. Visitation periods can then be gradually increased to approach more of a standard arrangement.
We are experienced at guiding clients through the child visitation and stepped-up visitation processes. Contact us to discuss your options with an experienced lawyer.
