An unsuccessful bid for child custody in Virginia does not mean that the parent will never have access to their children. Parents often still have a good chance of gaining family court approval for a visitation schedule. Depending on the circumstances, visitation could allow for weekly or bi-weekly parenting time on one or two days a week. In addition, the parents could have the children on holidays or during summer vacation.
In cases where courts choose to limit access, parents might still qualify for supervised visits or virtual contact through video services like Skype. The reasons why a court might completely deny visitation include history of domestic violence, especially toward a child, a parent’s previous failure to exercise visitation rights, cessation of contact with a child, termination of parental rights or abuse of drugs or alcohol.
A parent who wishes to overcome past problems and gain access to children could petition a court for the restoration of visitation rights or even custody. A family court might provide the parent with a plan. The completion of a parenting class, for example, could convince a judge to allow visits with children.
A parent confronted by questions regarding child custody or visitation might benefit from the representation of a divorce attorney. After learning about parental rights, one might be in a better position to negotiate a custody agreement with the other parent. If both parents agree to a shared custody plan, then an attorney could present the plan to a family court for approval. When challenges arise, an attorney might strive to solve problems by presenting information to a judge about a parent’s relationship with a child.
