DadsDivorce.com provides essential information and resources about divorce, alimony, child support and child custody to men and fathers at any stage of divorce.

Richard J. Coffee, II, Litigation Manager - Illinois Offices, Cordell & Cordell, P.C.

With children’s activities and family routines, a regular time for communication is invariably going to run into conflicts.

As the claimed (or perceived) abilities of cell phones and the Internet to provide live video communication are tossed about, the use of virtual visitation as compensation for lack of actual visitation is being asserted more often, usually by the parent with physical custody.  Four states (Florida, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin) have included in their statutes references to some form of video or other electronic communication as part of the visitation provisions.  Other states have proposals pending and the several private providers of websites for such virtual visitation are promoting their services as a panacea to long distance parenting issues.  

Question:

I just asked my girlfriend of just over a year to marry me and she said yes. This was all discussed with my son (age 10) prior to the engagement. My girlfriend had been living with me for about 5 months prior to the engagement.

Upon the engagement my ex-wife was very angry and reverted back to original visitation. You see, we have been following a agreement that allows me much more visitation than the original decree calls for.

Now around every corner is another storm from my ex-wife when she perceives a lack of respect or the like towards her. The question is: what are my chances of getting visitation to officially reflect what has been the norm for over 2 years?

This requires a genuine selflessness.

By Ravelle Smith, JD of Cordell & Cordell, PC

When children are involved in domestic matters, it is often a source of contention as to how much time a parent is going to get with their kids. When there aren’t any extraneous circumstances concerning the non-custodial parent and the child, standard visitation schedules seem to be an appropriate starting point to provide contact.  Standard visitation is often looked at as overnights from Friday to Sunday, alternating holidays, and extended time during the summer months.  When the bond between the child and the non-custodial parent are strong, additional visitation should be considered and implemented.    But, various things happen when the situation between the parent and child are not ideal, or there are special circumstances that challenge the normal visitation schedule.