Unfortunately, not every marriage can stand the test of time. If you’re going through a divorce in Rhode Island, it’s good to know about how custody and visitations work. With that in mind, here’s more information about the main types of custody and visitation arrangements.
Residential or physical custody
Having physical custody of a child means that this person lives at your residence. If you have sole physical custody of your child, they typically don’t see the other parent. Fortunately, many parents choose joint physical custody. Under this arrangement, two parents split the time they have with their children.
Legal custody
When discussing custodial rights, it’s easy to confuse legal custody with physical custody. Legal custody has more to do with making decisions for a child than where they live. If you have sole legal custody, you’re in charge of making decisions for your child. In a joint legal custody arrangement, both parents have equal say in the decisions of their children.
The main visitation types
Sometimes, child custody & support arrangements don’t involve children living with both of their parents. If that’s the case, a parent without custody can still visit their children. Unsupervised visitation allows a parent to spend time with their children without anyone else around. Sometimes, courts require supervised visitations that involve the presence of a trusted adult. There are also virtual visitations, which happen by using video conference programs.
To summarize, there are many types of custody and visitation rights that parents can have after a divorce happens. While it might be unpleasant, it’s important to work with the other parent as you prepare custodial arrangements. By doing this, you create a custody arrangement that works well for all parties involved.
