How Parenting Time Is Determined

October 14, 2020 The Law Offices of Michael D. Miller Jr.

If you are in the middle of a divorce, you can expect to start hearing questions about custody and parenting time. Parenting time used to be called “visitation,” and you may be slightly more familiar with this term.

Parenting time is determined on a case-by-case basis, and can be fluid. It is primarily used to refer to the time the noncustodial parent spends with the child. The court and parents work together, with their divorce lawyers, to determine an appropriate amount of parenting time for the noncustodial parent that works with the parents’ schedules. Typically, parents are advised to work out the parenting portion of their divorce on their own or through divorce mediation, since only you know the nuances of your schedules.

In today’s blog post from The Law Offices of Michael D. Miller Jr., we’re sharing some general information about how parenting time is determined and what factors are involved in that decision. Continue reading to learn more, and if you’re in need of a divorce lawyer in Chandler, contact us today.

How is parenting time measured?

Measuring time is tricky, and if you start getting down to the number of hours the child spends with each parent, you can get lost in the weeds. That’s why parenting time is calculated by the number of overnights spent with the noncustodial parent throughout the year. For example, if your divorce agreement outlines a 50/50 parenting plant, each parent should have 182 overnights over the course of the year.

Arizona state law entitles a parent to reasonable rights of parenting time in order to give the child an opportunity to have a good relationship with both their parents. However, parenting time can be limited or denied if the child’s health would be seriously endangered by spending time with a parent.

Reasonable parenting time

The amount of parenting time depends on the child’s age and development. If your child is a newborn, it may be more appropriate for parenting time to be allotted in more frequent, shorter visits, while a teenager may be better served with weekend or week-long parenting time. There are many resources to help you decide how much parenting time is reasonable, and The Law Office of Michael D. Miller Jr. is more than happy to provide you with this.

What factors are used to determine parenting time?

Just as each family situation is unique, so is each divorce and parenting time decision. Here are a few of the factors that the courts use to determine parenting time:

Parents’ wishes
Childrens’ wishes
Relationships between child and parents
Children’s potential adjustment to a new home/school/neighborhood
Mental and physical health of the parents
Past patterns of involvement with the child
Ability for both parents to spend time and share love with the child

If you’d like to learn more about how these factors are involved in parenting time decisions, schedule a consultation with our Chandler divorce lawyer.

The Law Offices of Michael D. Miller Jr. - Chandler Divorce Lawyer

Michael D. Miller Jr. has nearly 40 years of experience working in family and divorce law, and he specializes on paternity cases and high net worth divorce cases for professionals in the tech industry. If you choose Mr. Miller as your Chandler divorce lawyer, know you are getting an attorney who will always put your best interests first. Schedule a consultation.