Often when parents in California divorce, one parent will have the child in their care more than half of the time and the other parent has visitation time with the child. However, not all visitation orders look the same. There are different types of visitation orders that may be considered based on your unique circumstances.
Scheduled visitation
With a scheduled visitation order, you will work with your child’s other parent to develop a calendar of exactly which weekdays, weekends, vacations, holidays and other special occasions you will have your child in your care. Then, you will both follow this schedule.
One benefit of scheduled visitation is that it significantly limits any confusion and conflicts regarding visitation time. Moreover, scheduled visitation provides stability in your child’s life because your child will know what to expect.
Reasonable visitation
A reasonable visitation order is almost the opposite of a scheduled visitation order. There will not be an order detailing which days you have your child in your care. Instead, the schedule is open-ended, and it is up to you and your ex to work out visitation time on a flexible basis.
Reasonable visitation has the benefit of flexibility to accommodate various schedules. However, it generally only works if you can communicate with your child’s other parent in a productive manner. Disagreements can arise and if they are not resolved, they can harm the child.
Supervised visitation
With a supervised visitation order, you will only spend time with your child when supervised by a third party. Supervised visitation may be necessary if your child’s well-being is at risk or if you have been estranged from your child for a long time and you both need time to get to know each other.
Learn more about visitation orders
Ultimately, you will want to determine what visitation order works best under your circumstances. Whether you need stability, flexibility or supervision, there is a type of visitation order that meets your needs and is in the best interest of your child.