Divorce is a traumatic experience for everyone involved - husband, wife, and especially the children if there are any. Stability and comfort are crucial for well-adjusted, happy children, and divorce is not always conducive to upholding that kind of environment. Difficult custody and visitation battles often ensue which can result in a significant amount of stress and anxiety. Fortunately, during these trying times, families in Ohio have access to many free legal resources to help them deal with their child visitation issues.

The Ohio Visitation Law makes it possible for a parent without custody to visit his or her children. The court will dictate what time and where the visitation will happen, as well as the frequency of the visits and any other specific conditions that it deems relevant. For more information about Ohio child visitation schedules, visit custodyxchange.com.

According to child visitation law, the child must have access to the parent that he or she does not live with, who is otherwise known as the non-custodial parent. This law makes sure that a non-custodial parent can see his or her estranged child as often as possible. However, in cases where visitation does not serve a child’s best interest, the court can bar a non-custodial parent from visiting.

The court will also consider the relationship that the child has with other members of the family in question. The court will weigh whether the child is a stepchild, in which case, visitation rights may not be suitable. The court will also examine the home location of each of the parents, in addition to their distances from each other. Child visitation rights and the frequency of visits are also contingent upon the parents' employment and schedule, as these facets are in accordance with the child’s needs for free time and schooling.

With child visitation law, the child’s welfare is the utmost priority, and there are several factors that the courts take into consideration with regard to the child and his or her preferences. The child's age is an important aspect, as is the interaction and relationship that the child has with any of his or her siblings, if applicable. For more information about the types of factors that the court takes into account, visit divorcesupport.about.com. 

The background of each of the parents is another significant deliberation. Ohio courts thoroughly review the criminal backgrounds of each of the parents, and if it is found that either parents has either entered a guilty plea or been convicted of a crime, such as abuse or neglect, these factors will weight heavily on an Ohio court’s visitation decision. A strong likelihood of either parent leaving the state of Ohio will further change the outcome of the verdict.

The Ohio Laws and Rules website  is another useful resource for learning additional information about visitation rights and how they can be acted upon. For instance, when a parent is entitled to visitation rights in Ohio, it is not mandatory for that parent to take advantage of those rights. However, if a custodial parent, or the parent who has primary physical custody of a child, denies the non-custodial parent the right to visit the child, the court may hold the custodial parent in contempt. Furthermore, the non-custodial parent will not be legally allowed to avoid paying support if he or she is denied visitation rights by the custodial parent. To learn more information specifically pertaining to the rights of a non-custodial parent, visit lawyers.com.

Since life is ebb and flow, circumstances can often change. Children grow and their sensibilities can change, as can parental reliability. For example, a parent’s job responsibilities may change, resulting in that parent needing more child supervision assistance from the other parent. For these types of situations, if both parents are in agreement, a visitation order can be modified to serve the child’s current best interest.