Child Visitation Schedules in Georgia

Experienced Georgia Family Law & Divorce Attorneys

Our GA child custody attorneys have found that in most cases, when a Georgia divorce involves children, custody and visitation issues inevitably come to the fore. While each case varies, it is important to keep in mind that Georgia child visitation laws use the “best interest of the child” standard as determined by the court.

If both parents are in agreement as to a child visitation schedule (as parents are encouraged to do under the new GA parenting plan requirements), the court will usually adopt the agreement and incorporate it into the final order (again, so long as it finds the agreement to be in the "best interest of the child").

To better determine what, if any, visitation is considered to be in the “best interest of the child,” the court may decide to appoint a guardian ad litem to investigate internal family dynamics. Additionally, where there is a history of purported domestic violence in a family, the court may order supervised visitation, which may be done by a third party (e.g. relative or friend) or by agencies that specifically provide supervised visitation.

It is interesting to note that child visitation in Georgia is not conditional upon child support or alimony payments. In other words, a custodial parent cannot withhold visitation because the non-custodial parent is behind on child support payments.  Indeed, confusion in this area can lead to needless litigation.

A standard GA visitation schedule includes the right for the non-custodial parent to see their children every other weekend and on alternating holidays. Weekend visitation generally begins on a Friday evening and ends that Sunday evening. Often, standard child visitation in Georgia will include several additional weeks in the summer when the non-custodial parent can visit with the child. An example of a standard child visitation schedule in Georgia can be found at http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/dekalbflic/pdf/visitation.pdf. Parents who wish to come to an agreement can structure the child visitation schedule in a way that best suits their lifestyle, as long as it is in the best interest of the child.

As of January 2008, all cases that involve child custody in Georgia (except cases that seek emergency relief) must have a parenting plan. A good portion of the parenting plan addresses the details of child visitation, such as transportation arrangements, time of visitation and whether supervised visitation is needed. GA courts hope that by reaching an agreement on the details in the beginning, it will reduce problems later.

  Getting Started

If you are dealing with a GA child visitation or child custody issue, we advise you to speak with one of our Atlanta child custody and visitation lawyers sooner rather than later.  The process can be intense and sometimes intimidating, and the help of an experienced attorney will be invaluable in helping you protect your interests and the interests of your children.  For a typical divorce or child custody matter, our law firm retainer begins at $2,500.00.  To talk with one of our family law attorneys about representing you, either fill out the brief form to your left or give us a call.  For additional contact information and driving directions to our firm please visit our Contact Page.  Thank you and we look forward to working with you.