Being a member of the armed services can make family life challenging. When services members’ marriages end in divorce, relocations and deployments can make child custody and visitation a bear to figure out. Thankfully, Arizona and other states allow for the inclusion of virtual visitation in parenting plans.
What is virtual visitation? Are there limits to it? How can you get virtual visitation included in your custody or visitation schedule?
Virtual visitation is…
Virtual visitation involves parents using some form of technology to contact or interact with their children, such as:
- Video calling
- Social media chats
- Texting
- Phone conversations
Virtual visitation is not to totally replace physical time with your children. If you cannot be home for physical visits, though, it is a great way for military members to stay in touch with their children.
Limits
Yes, there are limits to virtual visitation. With this type of visitation, it does not mean you have free rein to contact your children whenever you want. There may be restrictions placed on how often you are able to get in touch with your children when they are spending time with their other parents. When it comes to setting limits, parents can either set ground rules themselves for how virtual visitation will work or the court can set the terms.
Getting or adding virtual visitation to your custody agreement
If virtual visitation is something you are interested in having, it is a matter of writing it into your custody plan. If the other parent does not want this type of visitation included in the custody plan, you may need to petition a judge to get it included.
If you have a custody plan in place already and it does not include this type of visitation, you will need to seek a formal modification to the plan. This you can do by negotiating new terms with your former spouse or by filing an official motion in court for review. However, you may want to remember that the court will not grant modifications for just any reason.
Virtual visitation is a great thing for service members with children to have. When physically being present is not an option due to your work schedule, this form of visitation allows you to keep in contact with your kids so you can continue building your relationships even when you are far away.
