Virtual visitation empowers parents to facilitate meaningful connections with their children via technology. This form of parenting time utilizes video calls, instant messaging and other digital communication resources to facilitate interaction between parents and their children.
Virtual visitation, also known as electronic visitation or e-visitation, involves scheduled video calls, chats and other online interactions. These virtual sessions can take place via platforms like Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, storytime apps, etc. It allows parents to participate in their child’s daily life when they are separated by distance.
Why is virtual visitation an important opportunity?
Virtual visitation can help to facilitate the bond between a parent and their child across the miles. Regular communication through video calls or chats allows parents to remain truly active in their child’s daily life, even if they live far away or otherwise have limited physical parenting time opportunities due to the ins and outs of their child’s custody arrangements.
One of the significant advantages of virtual visitation is its flexibility. Parents can schedule virtual visits around their work schedules, travel commitments or other obligations. This convenience helps to ensure that parents and children can interact more frequently than they would otherwise. Similarly, as children grow – and their schedules become more chaotic – virtual visitation can help to strengthen connections where time, distance, academic pressures and social commitments might otherwise undermine parent-child bonds.
Crafting a plan
Courts increasingly recognize the value of virtual visitation and may include virtual visitation terms as a part of custody arrangements, even if a child’s other parent resists this idea. With that said, whether virtual visitation terms are mutually agreed upon by a child’s parents, or they’re crafted and ordered by a court, it’s important to draft enforceable expectations. That way, everyone is clear about their related rights and obligations.
When crafting a virtual visitation plan, parents should take into account their child’s age, unique temperament, schedule, etc. They should also make sure that expectations are workable for both parents and their families. Otherwise, this arrangement could prove to be a source of conflict waiting to erupt. Those who have questions about how best to approach this task can seek personalized legal guidance at any time.