Parenting Time & Child Visitation Rights
New Jersey Child Visitation Lawyers
Whether you are a parent who is facing a divorce, or you are a single parent looking to protect your child’s best interests, you need a family law attorney on your side to protect your best interests when establishing custody, parenting time, and/or visitation. In New Jersey, parents who are seeking to share custody or obtain visitation rights must establish a court-approved parenting plan; so too must parents seeking to prevent an abusive parent from obtaining any visitation rights to their children. No matter what case you are facing, Burnham Douglass Attorneys at Law can help.
Visitation Rights
If the court designates you as the non-custodial parent, what are your visitation rights? Both you and the other parent must work out a visitation schedule, which lays out the specific times you can visit your children. Otherwise, the court will determine a schedule as it sees fit, and this hardly ever works in favor of the non-custodial parent’s schedule and personal preferences.
Common visitation plans in New Jersey include:
- Providing the non-custodial parent with visitation every other weekend.
- Providing the non-custodial parent with visitation one night per week.
- In shared parenting plans, dividing time between parents as close to equally as possible.
Discuss your visitation goals with us today at no cost. Your first consultation with a custody attorney at our office is free and confidential.
Court-Ordered Supervision
In some instances, you may only be allowed to visit with your children while under the supervision of someone appointed by the court (called “supervised visitation”). You may be forced to comply with supervised visitation if:
- You have a history of child abuse
- You have medical disabilities
- You have struggled with psychiatric issues
- You have any issues that could jeopardize the safety/welfare of the children
If the custodial parent fails to comply with an established visitation schedule, he/she can be held in contempt of court. He/she can then be sanctioned (or punished) by the court and forced to pay a fine. If there is a pattern of violating the visitation schedule, the court can transfer custody to the parent being denied visitation rights.
Can My Children Refuse to See Me?
New Jersey ensures that minor children have frequent and continuing contact with both parents. The older your children, however, the more their preferences will be considered. If your children do not wish to meet with you, they must be of “sufficient age and capacity to reason.” At age 16, a child is considered old enough to decide whether he/she wants to visit with you.
Our New Jersey Attorneys Can Help Protect Your Parental Rights to Visitation
At Burnham Douglass Attorneys at Law, we understand that visitation with a loving parent is essential to the healthy development of a child. We also understand that not all parental relationships are beneficial for a child, and we can help a custodial parent protect their children. Our team of family law attorneys works to protect not only your rights, but the best interests of your children. No matter what the circumstances, we are ready to stand by you from start to finish.
Our offices are conveniently located in Marlton and Somers Point, New Jersey, and we serve clients throughout South Jersey, including those in Atlantic County, Burlington County, and Camden County.
Get more information during your free case evaluation. Call Burnham Douglass Attorneys at Law at 856-751-5505 or submit an online contact form here to get started.
