Many aspects of daily life have changed dramatically over the last few months, and some even came to a standstill. Divorce cases started either at the time or shortly before the pandemic took the world by storm may finally be moving forward as parts of daily life return to some semblance of normal, but some changes may need to be made in order to truly reflect the circumstances. For instance, those dealing with child custody issues may want to address virtual visitations in their parenting agreements.
Families have had to adapt to a different way of life over the last few months, and some children may not get to see both their parents as often as they would like. Parents who are still negotiating their parenting plans would most likely benefit from taking this into account. Virtual visitation could allow noncustodial parents to have additional contact with their children when the circumstances do not otherwise allow it.
The custodial parent could agree to make the children available for virtual visitation and that he or she will not interfere with the time the children have with the other parent. The noncustodial parent could agree not to unduly interfere with the children’s time with the other parent and a schedule could be drawn up so that everyone knows when the contact will take place. Of course, this type of contact should never replace in-person visits; it should only add to it, especially when circumstances do not allow any other type of contact.
Ultimately, having contact with both parents is what the children will need in order to adjust to the divorce and to their new circumstances, and this may help. Fortunately, children tend to adapt quickly to new circumstances, so they may not have as much of an issue getting used to virtual visitations as their parents may. However, if New Jersey parents agree that this will be part of their parenting plan, they can work out the details before presenting their plan to the court for approval.
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