Birmingham Visitation Lawyers

Alabama family law presumes that a child benefits from having both parents actively involved in making decisions and participating in his or her life following a divorce. Biological fathers have visitation rights even if they have never been married to the mother, provided they can prove paternity and that it would be in the child’s best interests. The quickest and most cost-effective method of determining visitation and parenting time rights is through a Settlement Agreement. If each parent can agree on matters of child custody and parental access, the court will usually accept this agreement without intervening and establishing it as a court order.

In the event that parents cannot reach an agreement about visitation, the court has full discretion to examine the best interests of the child and develop a schedule. Visitation orders are typically used to delineate the rights of the noncustodial parent to access and parenting time. Depending on each parent’s willingness to cooperate and co-parent, the court may implement a specific visitation schedule or allow the parents to determine parenting time, subject to court-ordered conditions. In certain situations, the court may require supervised visitation in the best interests of the child.