Virtual or digital visitation has made it easier than ever before for parents to be a daily part of their children’s lives after a divorce. For many people, virtual visitation may only seem necessary for parents in unusual situations, like those currently deployed as an active-duty service member in the military or those who live or work abroad.
However, many parent-child relationships could potentially benefit from virtual visitation. If you can’t always be physically present for your children, spending time with them digitally could be a great way to stay involved in their lives and current on what matters to them. Including terms about virtual visitation in their parenting plan could be a smart move for those in specific situations.
Parents who travel for work or live far away can stay in touch via video
There are now many different programs that offer live video chat services for those who would like to communicate with one another remotely, as well as video messaging services that allow people to send videos for their loved ones to watch at their convenience. Either option can be a valuable tool for parents who can’t be physically present with their children.
Whether you live in another city and can only see your children one weekend a month or frequently travel during what would be your parenting time because of your job, virtual visitation can give you some time with your children. It lets you interact with them in a meaningful way even when you can’t be present.
Virtual visitation helps those who are close but unavailable
Those with demanding careers, like lawyers, long-haul truckers or medical professionals, may find that although they live in the same city as their children and their ex, their job demands make it hard to spend time with the children reliably in person. Virtual visitation can be a way for these parents to reach out to their children and maintain their critical parental bond.
In some cases, former spouses can reach a mutual agreement about virtual visitation that works for the family. Other times, a parent who wants virtual visitation may need to ask for it in custody proceedings or seek a modification from the courts after a divorce.