Top 7 Tips For Creating A Child Visitation Schedule

In this article, you can discover…

• How to ensure your visitation schedule puts your child first.
• How to accommodate parents’ work schedules.
• Common mistakes to avoid when creating a visitation schedule. 

How Can I Ensure The Visitation Schedule Is In The Best Interest Of My Child?

A visitation schedule will vary greatly depending on the age of your child. A very young child will likely have a more flexible schedule than a child in school and involved in sports. A good visitation schedule should consider the needs and activities of your child, their school schedule, and the distance and availability of each parent. 

Less disruption is going to be best for your child. A visitation schedule when your child is school-age also factors in your child’s friendships, favorite activities, favorite places, and maturity level. Be sure to work with your attorney and with the other party to consider all these factors as amiably and thoughtfully as possible. 

How Can I Accommodate Both Of Our Work Schedules In The Visitation Plan?

This depends on what those schedules are. Ideally, your child will spend more time with their parents than with a babysitter or in an afterschool program. I have seen some agreements where even though a child slept over at his mom’s house, his dad would pick the child up and take him to school each morning, allowing the mother to get to work earlier. 

Other arrangements might involve parents staying over at the other spouse’s home while they worked a late shift so the child would not be alone. An ideal schedule will really factor in both parents’ availability as well as the child’s needs and allow that child to spend the maximum amount of time with their parents. 

Why Is It Important To Be Flexible With The Visitation Schedules?

Both you and the other party will have unforeseen circumstances which arise in life. There might be a funeral, an illness, or something else may come up. The other party may need to take your child to a special event, such as a wedding, outside of the normal visitation schedule.

Remember: if you’re not flexible, the other party won’t be flexible, either. Try to remain flexible to benefit yourself, the other party as a parent, and your child as well.

Attorney David Bliven is a diligent family law attorney serving New York. For over 25 years, he’s helped clients just like you create meaningful, comprehensive visitation schedules and ensure their child’s needs are met following a divorce.

Have questions about visitation schedules? Reach out to the Law Offices of David Bliven at (347) 797-1188 for an initial consultation today.

What Roles Do Holidays Play In Visitation Planning?

One should include Holidays in visitation plans, especially major holidays like Christmas, New Year’s and Thanksgiving/Black Friday. You may wish to simply allow whichever parent has the child on that day to celebrate with them, or can arrange plans to celebrate one year with you and the next year with the other party. 

Include provisions for weddings, funerals, and other events that may come up. Covering these situations in the parenting plan allows you to bring the issue before a Judge if the other party becomes inflexible, not allowing your child to attend a wedding, for example. 

What Are The Common Mistakes To Avoid When Creating A Visitation Schedule?

Make sure your visitation schedule is not leaving out holidays, breaks, and vacations. Determine how year-by-year holiday scheduling will work to make sure your plans are enforceable in the long term. For example, many parents alternate holidays by the year or agree that Thanksgiving will always be with Dad while Christmas will always be with Mom.

What happens if Dad was meant to watch the child but gets called in to work? Can the child stay with his fiancé or with a babysitter (or should the other parent have a “right of 1st refusal”)? Are there provisions for uninterrupted private phone time or video calls when the child is with the other parent?

What happens if the child has an activity on the non-custodial parent’s access-time? Are they obligated to bring the child? Pick-up the child at the end?

Should there be a grace period regarding how late the non-custodial parent can pick-up the child before a visit is deemed cancelled?

Making sure all these things are worded meaningfully and clearly in the agreement will be vital. 

How Do I Handle Missed Visitation Appointments And Make Up Time?

Your visitation agreement should have a provision for time to be made up if one party misses a visit through no fault of their own. For example, if the non-custodial parent misses a visit because of illness or an emergency at work. How are you going to communicate when emergencies arise? Be sure to include how and when that make-up time will happen. The more detailed and comprehensive these provisions are, the better.

What Should One Expect During The Court Approval Process For The Visitation Schedule?

If you and the other party reach a settlement with regard to visitation, the court will almost invariably sign off on that settlement. If you and the other party cannot reach a settlement, then you will have to proceed to trial and have a Judge decide the visitation schedule.

As a result, it is much better to work something out amicably with the other party which considers your respective schedules as well as the well-being and rights of your child. A seasoned family law attorney can help guide you through that process and work meaningfully with the other parent. 

Still Have Questions, Ready To Get Started?

For more information on Tips For Creating A Child Visitation Schedule, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (347) 797-1188 today.