Sole Custody Visitation Schedules

Creating a custody and visitation schedule

You can create a custody and visitation schedule (on your own or with the other parent) or you can work with a lawyer or legal professional and have them create it. If you don't want to pay the high cost of a lawyer, and want to easily make your own schedule, you can use the Custody X Change software.

Creating a sole custody visitation schedule

When one parent has sole physical custody of a child, the child will live with that parent the majority of the time.

Even when a parent has sole custody, the other parent is usually awarded visitation time with the child. Only the most extreme offenders are prohibited from seeing their child. There typically needs to be substantial evidence of sexual or physical abuse in order for a parent to be denied access to his or her child.

If you are unable to reach an agreement with the other parent, the judge will create the visitation schedule for you. You may want to consider providing the court with a proposed visitation schedule so the judge will have an alternative to consider. This may help you get a schedule created on your terms instead of a court ordered plan that may or may not be convenient for you and your child.

If you are able to work out a sole custody visitation schedule with your ex, the judge will review it to ensure it meets the needs of your child. If it is in his or her best interests, it will be approved.

Your visitation schedule should allow your child to spend time with the other parent on a regular basis. It should designate specific days and times the visitation will occur and the schedule should rotate or repeat in a manner that establishes a routine for the child.

You (or the court) will need to decide whether or not the other parent will be able to have overnight visitation with your child. If the noncustodial parent is homeless or lives in a home with a lot of other people, especially people who may present a danger to the child, overnights will probably not be in the child's best interests.

You (or the court) will also need to create a holiday visitation schedule that will allow the child to spend time with the other parent on holidays and special occasions.

You should also include provisions that state how you will exchange the child. Some parents are able to pick up and drop off the child at each other's homes but some parents may need to exchange the child in a neutral, public location. You may even want to permit a third party to transport the child if your personal safety is a factor.

Custody X Change is an excellent tool you may use to create your custody agreement and child visitation schedule. Whether you are able to work out a plan with the other parent or simply want to create a proposed plan to present to the court, you can easily create professional documents with Custody X Change.

Supervised visitation

If the judge decides that supervised visitation would be best for the child, you must comply with the court order and make your child available for the supervised visits.

Supervised visitation may be ordered if there is a safety issue but it may also be ordered if the parent has being absent from the child's life and they need to get acquainted.

Many times, supervised visitation is a temporary arrangement that may lead to unsupervised visitation if the noncustodial parent meets certain requirements. For example, the noncustodial parent may have to have six months of clean drug tests, seek counseling or complete an anger management class in order to be awarded unsupervised visits.

The court will decide the days and times of the visits and where the visits will take place.

Sometimes, the visits take place in a designated facility. There will be a monitor present with the noncustodial parent in the room for the duration of the visits.

The may also judge assign a social worker or a similar person to accompany the child to the noncustodial parent's home (or other designated location). The designated monitor will stay with the child for the entire visit and return the child to the custodial parent.

The judge may allow a friend, relative or an acquaintance to act as the monitor for supervised visits if the participant is willing and the parents are able to mutual agree on a person. If this is an option for you, you will need to consider whether or not the person will be reliable and trustworthy. 

If you feel your ex mother-in-law would allow your ex to take your child without her present, she is probably not going to be the right person for the task. If your brother does not get along with your ex, he probably isn't going to be the right fit, either.

Before suggesting a third party to supervise visits, consider the enormous responsibility and any strain it may place on your friend or family member.

You can use Custody X Change to create a calendar of the supervised visitation schedule. You can also use Custody X Change's journaling feature in order to keep track of whether or not your ex shows up to visitation and to document what actually happened.

Long distance arrangements

Having sole custody does not always mean that the other parent has done something wrong. A parent may have sole custody if the other parent travels extensively for work or if the other parent lives far away.

If distance is the only reason you have sole custody, your visitation schedule should provide the noncustodial parent with liberal visitation when the child is out of school. You can take advantage of your child's school schedule and create a plan that provides the noncustodial parent with extended visitation during the summer and other school breaks.

If you can access your child's school calendar, you can use Custody X Change to create a long distance visitation calendar that accurately documents the entire year. You can also use the time share percentage reports to keep track of exactly how much time your child spends with each of you.

Get help making a sole custody visitation schedule

Creating a schedule on your own can feel overwhelming. You have to be sure to use airtight legal language and can't omit any required information.

The Custody X Change app takes the guesswork out of the equation by helping you build a schedule piece by piece.

As a result, you get a written schedule and a visual calendar. They meet your family's needs, as well as the court's standards.

For quick, reliable and affordable help making a visitation schedule, turn to Custody X Change.