Visitation

What it means

The time a child spends with a parent who does not have primary physical custody. A court order sets out the schedule — which days, what times, how holidays and summers work, how pick-ups and drop-offs happen. Same standard as custody: the best interests of the child. In some cases, visits are supervised by another adult or at a supervised-visitation program. If a parent is blocked from their court-ordered time, they can go back to court to enforce it. Visitation is separate from child support — blocked visits do not excuse unpaid support, and unpaid support does not end the right to see the child.

When you might hear this

You hear this when parents live apart and the court needs to set up when each parent sees the kids. Many courts and lawyers now use the words 'parenting time' instead of 'visitation' because both parents are parents — not visitors.

What to ask