Everything You Need To Know About Child Contact Disputes

With divorce already being an unpleasant process, the thought of battling over child care and contact can be a stressful prospect. Luckily, preparation can help allay some of those worries, we have compiled some must-know information about child contact disputes.

Learn more about child contact disputes, and what you need to know before going through the process.

Residence

A vital element of contact disputes is determining where the child should live. This might be solely in one parent’s home or split between both households in a fair manner. This could also be spending weekdays with one parent, and weekends with another.

The aim of discussing residence is to ensure the child gets the care they need alongside a sense of stability. Especially during stressful academic periods, stability is important for a child and their sense of self while growing up.

Contact

It isn’t only residence that is important when it comes to child custody. Contact in the form of regular visits or time spent together is equally important. For parents where having their child stay isn’t feasible because, for example, they don’t have the appropriate space. Instead, the court may assign a scheduled visit.

Occasionally, there may be limitations on the type of contact allowed, such as visits needing to be supervised if they believe a parent may be a danger to the child. Where there are medical needs too, either for the child or the parent, contact may be restricted.

Being Denied

There are some cases in which a parent may be denied access entirely from their child if the court believes it is in the best interest of the child. This could be because of a parent’s history of alcohol or drug abuse and any other illegal activities. It could also be because of evidence of domestic violence, suggesting the child would be at risk if placed in this parent’s care.

How Disputes Arise

Disputes over child contact generally arise alongside the process of a legal separation or divorce of their parents. It might result in a schedule that one parent considers their agreed amount unfair. It’s important to consider how a case will be discussed when taken to court. Essentially, the court should decide what actions and rules are in the child's best interest.

As circumstances change, so might child custody. If a parent decides to move away, it will unlikely be possible to continue the current contact arrangement. This is when a review will need to be made, to discuss the plans for suitable changes to the custody agreement, such as visiting at weekends or major holidays.

What We Do

We know how important child contact is, particularly through a difficult divorce. To make the process easier for you, we offer child custody services at DJP Solicitors. Our team of family law solicitors routinely deal with child contact matters, making them qualified to assist you in getting the result you’re after.

To learn more about us and what we do, visit our website. Alternatively, get in touch with us today for more information.