Divorce Custody Visitation

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After the determination of child custody, it is possible to work out a visitation schedule. Some usual suggestions for visitation are as follows.

• Teens and Elementary school age: alternate weekends and extended periods in school breaks
• 2 to 3 years: 2 days inclusive of 1 night
• 18 months: 1 day and 1 night
• 1 year old: 1 day per week
• Infants: Every 2 or 3 days, the infant must spend some hours with the non custodial parent in order to develop a bond. Overnight stay is not recommended

While the parents develop a visitation plan, they must keep the following factors in mind.

• The best interests of the child
• The set routine of the child
• Holidays
• Vacation time
• Probable conflicts in schedule
• The extra curricular activities, school schedule and social life of the child

Highlights of Divorce Custody Visitation

Pick up and Drop off

• The divorced parents should not view the pick up and drop off arrangement as a chance to initiate or continue an argument with the ex spouse
• If one parent cannot get along with the ex spouse, he/she should wait in the car. In order to hint the child to come in the car, he/she can beep the horn. There is no need to leave the car
• The custodial parent must ensure that the child is prepared prior to the arrival of the ex spouse
• The non custodial parent must make it a point to reach the location on time. If on any occasion, he/she cannot reach on time, he/she must call the custodial parent and intimate the time when he/she can be expected

• The ideal method is to alternate a specific holiday each year. For example, if the father has the child on Christmas in 2008 then in 2009, the mother would have the child
• In some cases, the mother and father celebrate a holiday in varying ways. For example, on Christmas, the mother might have a huge family gathering while the father may have a Christmas Eve tradition. If this is the case, then the previous point is not recommended. Instead, each year the child must spend some holidays with the father and the remaining holidays with the mother
• Let us assume that as per the visitation plan, the child has to spend a particular holiday with the father. However, the father is required to attend office on that day. Then, the father must permit the child to spend that holiday with the mother, without exchange of any other holiday

• The average vacation time is 2 weeks in summer. If it is feasible, then these 2 weeks must not be consecutive
• It is observed that in some cases, each parent spends about 1 month with the child each summer. Thus, if the child lives with the father in July, then in August the child is with the mother

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