What is a fixed visitation schedule in child custody?

When a couple must work out how to share child custody and visitation privileges, courts prefer to give them the opportunity to create a plan they both can agree upon, provided that it places the best interests of their child above their own rights or privileges. Unfortunately, parents are not always to reach such an agreement, and the court must step in and create a more rigid schedule that both parents must legally follow or risk loss of privileges or even criminal charges.

Fixed visitation schedules are often used when courts believe that parents cannot create an acceptable plan together, or believes that a child needs a very dependable, stable schedule of visitation with each parent to settle into a healthy pattern of interaction with both parents.

Fixed visitation may not only involve certain days or portions of days that one parent or the other spends time with a child, it may also dictate locations that the parents must use when transferring the child, or a venue where a parent may spend time with a child within very specific boundaries. These often get used if parents are in conflict, or if parents have concerns about each other’s behavior, to preserve the right of each parent to spend time with the child while keeping the child secure and stable.

If you and your child’s other parent must work through a custody arrangement, be sure to consider all the legal tools you have at your disposal. An experienced attorney can provide crucial guidance and insight into the child custody process and help make sure that you understand how to create the best life you can for the child you love while keeping your own rights secure.

Source: FindLaw, “Parental Visitation Rights FAQ,” accessed March 09, 2018