After a divorce, parents who don’t retain full custody of their kids usually apply for child visitation rights. The courts grant child visitation in Lancaster County, PA to allow these parents to spend time with their kids. Though it is the judges who ultimately decide the parameters for child visitation, the divorced parents can draft out and submit an agreement. Once the judge finds the agreement to be fair and legal, it can then be accepted by the court. If the divorced parties cannot come to an agreement, they must resort to the legal process in order for the judge to make the decision. The following are important things to note when drafting out an agreement for rights to child visitation in Lancaster County, PA.
When drafting out an agreement, the first thing to do is to agree on the individual(s) getting the visitation rights. Usually this is the parent who doesn’t have custody of the child. However, some states grant visitation rights to other individuals (apart from the parents) if it is in the child’s best interests. All the parties concerned should provide detailed descriptions which will include full name, home and office address, other contact information and the child’s relationship to the individual. There should also be a clause detailing all the information that concerns the child’s needs. It should mention the need for support, love, health, and guidance, as well as other attributes of the child.
The main body of the agreement states all the obligations and rights of the parent or individual receiving the visitation rights. The child’s abilities, age, experience and personality must be considered when drafting out this section. The agreement should provide the child or children with a dependable routine and a feeling of security and stability. The visitation schedule should be one that is consistent and can be followed easily. The child’s location, daily routine, weekly and weekend activities, special occasions and holidays should all be considered when drafting out the visitation schedule. Every detail should be noted down to ensure that the agreement covers all the possibilities that may arise. This is necessary so that any conflict can be amicably resolved by referring to the agreement. To ensure that the judge accepts the agreement, it may be best to visit the Law Office of Melissa R. Montgomery. They will take care of all the legal details involved in drafting out such an agreement.
