Virtual Visitation

Face-to-face interactions are no longer the only way for non-custodial parents to have contact with their children. Skype, Google chat, video phone and various Internet options allow parents to visit with their youngsters no matter where they are located. Phones and computers can be used to schedule time for chatting, for reading a bedtime story or for a daily or weekly visit.

Precedents are growing throughout the country for the inclusion or allowance of virtual visitation in a parenting plan. While New York has not passed a specific law that deals with virtual visitation, in a recent New York case, the court ordered a mother, who was relocating to Florida, to provide for time for her children to visit with their father on Skype. Technology is a boon to families who are not nearby and a skilled divorce lawyer can help you to arrange for virtual visitation. Email, texting, instant messaging and web cameras on phones or computers can strengthen the bond between parents and children.

If your original order for visitation did not include virtual visitation, you may be able to seek it, especially if circumstances have changed over time. Perhaps you or your spouse moved or wish to move, or your job is now too intense to allow for a weekly in person visit. In these situations and more, virtual visitation can help to keep the lines of communication open with your children.