Parenting time is the right of a child or children to spend specified time with each parent. In some cases, parenting time may also be granted to people other than parents.
Some court orders provide for "Reasonable Rights of Parenting Time." This allows the parents the flexibility of working out schedules as they might agree. However, if there is disagreement by the parents as to the actual intent of "Reasonable Rights of Parenting Time," then the parents need to refer to the minimum definition of this schedule as provided in the Friend of the Court Parenting Time Handbook (PDF).
Parenting time is typically designated in court orders after all aspects of a case have been reviewed. Consideration is given to the age, maturity and needs of the child, length of time between parenting times, relationship between the child and the parent, physical distance between the parties, and any other relevant issues. In the event of conflicts with the parenting time schedule, it will be necessary to inform the Friend of the Court of the dispute, in writing.
Statutory Responsibility
The Friend of the Court has the statutory responsibility to enforce court orders regarding parenting time. The family court strongly believes that it is important for the child or children to have a good relationship with both parents.
