Seeing one’s child as often as possible after divorce is a priority for most parents. Unfortunately, life is complicated and can get in the way faster than people realize. For example, an amazing career opportunity or sick loved one might mean that it is time to move out of Ohio. But how can divorced parents navigate custody and visitation when separated by hundreds of miles or even state lines? Virtual visitation is an increasingly popular way to do so.
The idea of virtual visitation is easy enough. Rather than in person visits, a parent can maintain regular visitations through technology. This can be anything from texting and social media messaging to phone or video calls. The ultimate goal is to help support an ongoing parent-child relationship, which is usually in the best interests of most children.
Requesting virtual visitation should include more than just asking for the time to do so. It is also important to make sure that a parent’s virtual communication is not censored by his or her child’s other parent. After all, most in person visitations are not censored or monitored.
Virtual visitation is not intended to replace in person visits, but should be used alongside as a way to supplement contact when distance makes it hard to meet regularly. This means that a parent can read his or her child a bedtime story, help with homework and stay engaged even when living outside of Ohio. Making sure the details of one’s child custody agreement are correct is key to making sure that virtual visitation functions as it is intended, so parents should be sure to take the time they need to fully understand what they are agreeing to.