Child Visitation Lawyers in Sacramento, CA

The laws in California allow non-custodial parents to play a continued role in their kids’ lives as long as the contact remains in the children’s best interests. Thus, most parents must negotiate a visitation plan as part of the child custody order. This plan legally dictates how, when, and where a parent can spend time with a dependent. Creating a plan protects both parents’ rights under the custody order and ensures a child has the opportunity to spend time with both of his or her parents. Contact a successful and experienced child visitation attorney in Sacramento, CA with any questions or concerns regarding child visitation and your legal rights as the father or mother of a child.

Common Visitation Plans

You may hear divorced parents talking about which weekends or days of the week he or she has with a child. In cases of joint custody or where a mother or father has visitation rights but no legal custody, these arrangements fulfill the child’s best interests while accommodating a reasonable schedule for working adults. Common plan structures may include:

• Every other week. Those facing or already going through a divorce who share legal custody may take the child or children for a week at a time, alternating with the other parent.
• 2-2-3 schedules. One parent takes Monday and Tuesday, the other takes Wednesday and Thursday, and the first has Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This arrangement may remain fixed or change from week to week.
• In cases where one parent has sole custody, this arrangement may include weekend overnight visits and some non-overnight visits during the week.
• Parents typically split Holidays evenly throughout the year.

Parents can determine their own visitation plans, negotiate through mediation, or present cases in court for a decision. In addition to days, the plan may also outline pick-up and drop-off times and other visitation requirements. The courts will not generally approve of separate visitation plans for siblings.

Visitation Rights Disputes

After the creation of a visitation plan, many parents face visitation rights disputes. A custodial parent may not follow the outline laid out in the visitation plan, or one may believe the other is having a detrimental impact on the child. Legal remedies exist to protect kids in child custody cases.

If a parent has a reason to believe the other spouse should not have unsupervised time with the child, he or she may file a Request for Order to ask the courts to mandate supervision during visits. The state may order a child custody evaluation to determine what is in the best interests of the child. An evaluator may ask teachers, law enforcement, parenting class leaders, and others for information about the child or parent. The court will also determine who pays the costs associated with supervisory services and evaluations. For visitation disputes, an experienced Sacramento child visitation lawyer can be an invaluable resource.

Teens and Visitation Plans

As a parent or family member who the courts have granted visitation rights, you are bound to follow the rules set forth in the legal custody order. Caretakers are responsible for ensuring the child maintains the visitation schedule, unless both parties agree otherwise. Once children get older, however, a parent may not have much control over visitation compliance. The courts will typically not force an older child or a parent of an older child to maintain the visitation schedule after a certain point.

Finding a Child Visitation Attorney in Sacramento

At Boyd Law, our Sacramento family attorneys are ready to help you throughout your journey as a divorced parent, protecting your right to play a role in your child’s life. A disagreement with your ex-spouse or delays with child support payments should not compromise your visitation rights. Allow us to help you protect your family’s best interests as your child’s visitation legal counsel in Sacramento. Contact us today for a free consultation and quality legal advice.