Child Visitation in Georgia
For all cases
involving minor children, Georgia law requires parents to prepare and submit a
Parenting Plan detailing each parent's visitation schedule with the child
throughout the year. The two major categories of visitation schedules concern (A) regular "Weekend and Weekday" visitation and (B) "Major Holiday and
Vacation Periods." Georgia law specifically requires each Parenting Plan to
detail:
- Where and when a child will be in each parent's physical care, designating where the child will spend each day of the year.
- How holidays, birthdays, vacations, school breaks, and other special occasions will be spent with each parent, including the time of day that each event will begin and end.
In many cases,
parents prefer to discuss and agree on the specifics of their visitation
schedules, taking into account factors such as employment schedules, the
child's school calendar, extracurricular activities, transportation
availability, and other potential scheduling conflicts. Parents may
occasionally agree to deviate from the specific schedules in the Parenting Plan
as appropriate for their family.
Weekend and Weekday Visitation Schedules
The regular "Weekend
and Weekday" parenting time schedule details each parent's right to parenting
time during all weekends and weekdays of the year, except for major holiday
periods. For school-age children, the schedule will typically detail who has custody
of the child from Monday to Friday, as well as Saturday and Sunday. The start
and end times for weekday visitation often depend on the child's school
schedule. For children not yet enrolled in Kindergarten, the schedule may
depend on daycare or childcare provider hours, or homeschooling schedules.
Common Visitation Schedules
Some common
visitation schedules include:
- Standard/Traditional Schedule: Every-other-weekend from Friday to Sunday.
- Extended Standard/Traditional Schedule: Every-other-weekend from Thursday to Sunday or Friday to Monday.
- Weekly Visitation Schedule: Alternating week on/week off.
- 2/2/5 Schedule: 2 days on, 2 days off, alternating every other weekend.
It is important to
note that parents may agree to a schedule which deviates from these common
arrangements, as long as the schedule meets the legal standard of the "best
interests of the child."
Developing a
visitation schedule that best supports your minor children involves careful
consideration of all relevant factors and a willingness to adapt as needed to
meet your family's unique needs.