If you’re wondering how you can maximize your visitation rights, you’re not alone. Many parents would like to spend more time with their child. Unless the court has ordered otherwise, you have a legal right to spend time with your child. The amount of time for which you’re eligible depends on multiple factors. In an ideal custody situation, both parents would agree on a set visitation schedule which works for both parties and is in the child’s best interest. If both parents work together, there is little reason for the court to get involved regarding when and how often you visit your child. Most problems tend to arise when parents disagree on visitation hours or prevent the other parent from seeing their child. Over the course of the child’s adolescence, it is possible to change the visitation schedule to best meet the parents’ needs; but, more importantly, the changing needs of the child.
Can I Request a Change to My Child Visitation Schedule?
Visitation schedules can be modified. As children age and their needs change, it is often appropriate to modify the parenting time arrangement. Each case is different, and presents a different set of facts and circumstances. Because a judge decides what parenting time is appropriate based on what is in a child’s best interest, there are countless factors that may weigh into that decision. There are certain things parents can do that may make a visitation schedule modification more or less appropriate. These include changes such as modifying their own schedule to make themselves more available to the child or being more involved in the child’s education.
How to Create the Actual Parenting Time Schedule
There are a lot of creative ways parents work out to share parenting times. The Oregon Judicial Department lays out a starting point based on the age of the children and the dynamic between the parents that can be used to create each family’s individual visitation plan. Their guide lists three types of plans (A, B, and C), and then examples of how each of these types can be applied to each age bracket. Plan A is for situations where one parent has not had a lot of time with the child as the primary caregiver, so a majority of the time will be spent with the other parent. Plan B is similar to plan A in that most of the time will still be with one parent, but to a lesser degree. Plan C is for situations where it is most appropriate for the child to spend as much time with each parent as possible. As time goes on, and both the child’s needs and the parents’ situations change, a family law lawyer can help you make changes to your parenting time schedules.