For parents in Virginia who are considering divorce, one of their primary concerns may be how to deal with child custody and visitation. Divorcing individuals may be very adamant that the end of their romantic relationships with their spouses should not affect their relationship with their children even if the time they spend together is now spaced out differently. When parents opt for divorce, there are a number of child custody and visitation schedules that they can consider in order to find the solution that is most suited to the individual needs of their families.
Divorcing parents will often be given an opportunity to work together with their family law attorneys to reach a mutual decision about child custody schedules and develop a parenting plan. One of the most common schedules in situations involving one primary custodial parent is for the child to spend every other weekend with his or her noncustodial parent from Friday evening after school through Sunday evening. This schedule is often a good option for families where the noncustodial parent has a particularly demanding weekday job.
However, other schedules can also be an option for parents going through a divorce. For example, one weekday evening or weeknight could be added each week to the visitation schedule, especially if both parents live relatively close to each other or the child’s school. Overall, parents can be creative with how they develop a parenting plan. It should accommodate the work schedules of the parents and the needs of the children even if the schedule is relatively uncommon.
Of course, developing a creative visitation schedule can often require a collaborative approach from the parents. A family law attorney can work with a divorcing parent whether his or her relationship with his or her former spouse is amicable or contentious to reach positive decisions about child custody and visitation that reflect the best interests of the children involved.