PARENTING TIME

Georgia law recognizes how important it is for a child to maintain a relationship with both parents. Parenting time is defined as the time each parent has with the child. Sometimes the parents can set up a schedule on their own. If they cannot agree on a schedule, a judge will decide how the parenting time will be divided. The courts rarely deny visitation, but instead offer an alternative such as supervised visitation with restrictions if there’s a concern for the child’s safety. Most of the time, both parents will maintain parenting time with their child after a divorce.

Several visitation plans are commonly used when determining a parenting plan. The Traditional or Standard Visitation plan is used when a primary parent spends most of the time with the child. For example, Parent A will have the child Sunday through Thursday, and Parent B will have the child Friday through Sunday. Parent A will receive the child back for Monday and Tuesday, Parent B has the child Wednesday, and Parent A gets the child Thursday through Saturday to finish off this two-week example schedule. This allows the child to experience fewer school week transfers.

An Extended Traditional Schedule follows the same style as above, but Parent A will have the child Sunday through Wednesday. Parent B will then have the child Thursday through Sunday, Parent A Monday through Wednesday, Parent B on Thursday, and then Parent A Friday and Saturday.

For older children or parents with challenging work schedules, there’s the option for a weekly schedule. In this case, Parent A has the child for an entire week, Monday through Sunday, and then the following Monday, it switches to Parent B. This allows the child to have equal time with each parent.

The last of the four popular examples is the 2/2/5 Schedule. This means that the child will do two days with Parent A, two days with Parent B, and then five days with Parent A and then alternate. This is common for joint custody situations and allows each parent to have a full weekend every other week. Of course, exceptions for every schedule exist, and you’ll have to find what works best for your situation. If you’re unable to do so, the court can determine your schedule for you.

Now that you have taken the time to educate yourself on who we are, it’s time to focus on how to move forward in your case. Contact us via phone or the contact form to schedule your comprehensive one-hour consultation. Be sure to have available, all relevant information and details about your case when you contact Family Matters Law Group so that we can provide you with an exceptionally personalized experience.