For a parent who has been denied physical custody of their child, visitation rights is very important to ensure that they have opportunities to spend quality time with their child. Unlike custody, visitation does not give an Arizona parent the right to have their child live with them. Visitation does, however, ensure that a parent can see their child, though, restrictions may be placed on where and when their interactions may occur.
Some parents who are given visitation time with their kids may be required set schedules. A visitation schedule may stipulate exactly when a parent may pick up their child, where they may go and when the child must be returned to their custodial parent. Other parents with visitation rights may have “reasonable” rights, which may mean that their options for spending time with their kids are more relaxed.
In some cases, courts may decide that children may only have supervised visitation time with their noncustodial parents. During a supervised visitation period, a parent and child must have their time together in the presence of a third party. That party may be appointed by the court, and generally, supervised visitation is mandated when there are concerns that a parent may cause harm to their child during their periods of visitation.
Like custody matters, visitation matters will turn on whether particular outcomes will benefit the children’s best interests. Parents can fight for their custodial and visitation rights, though, and if they feel that they have been granted supervised visitation out of error, they may be able to advocate for changes to their visitation plans with the help of their Chandler family law attorneys.