While creating a child visitation schedule with your former spouse or partner can be frustrating and time-consuming, the result will ultimately be in the best interest of your child. Typically, both parents agree that their schedule will accommodate their work schedules, extracurricular activities, and other factors. When a mutual agreement is not possible, a family court judge will create one for you, which frequently ends up with parents not receiving the amount of visitation or custody rights they had hoped.

Whether ordered or mutually agreed upon, you will likely receive a visitation order similar to the categories below:

Fixed Schedule

For parents who want minimal contact with one another, a fixed visitation schedule is an ideal solution. This is typically created by the court handling your case and will specify precisely which days and times you can exercise your visitation rights with your child.

Reasonable Schedule

When parents can continue communicating beyond divorce or separation and prioritize their child’s well-being, they often use a reasonable visitation schedule. This makes it possible for both parties to participate in raising their children. Being more flexible, parents can set up programs and pick up / drop off locations for visits and generally have minor issues with navigating work schedule accommodations independently.

Supervised Visitation

Sometimes, one parent has established a pattern of behavior regarding drug use, alcohol abuse, or violent behavior that poses a risk to a child’s well-being and safety. The court may require an authorized third-party to supervise that parent’s visitation with their child until no longer necessary.

No Visitation

Under dire circumstances, a court may decide that a parent should not contact their child. This is usually in cases where any form of visitation would prove more harmful than good. Usually, this denial of visitation is due to previous abuse of the child or the parent being unable to interact with their child appropriately.