Florida Child Visitation Rights: Interference

It is important that parents spend time with their children. Your child visitation rights are legally enforceable, and they should not face any interference. No matter the excuses offered by the child’s other parent, nothing should be allowed to take preference over your visitation rights. If your child visitation rights have been interfered with in Central Florida, please contact an experienced Orlando visitation rights lawyer for immediate assistance.

What is Interference?

The interference of your child visitation rights can come in several different forms. In some cases, interference is open and obvious, but in the majority of cases it is much more subtle and insidious.

Specific types of child visitation interference include:

• Denial: The most straightforward form of child visitation interference is denial. As an example, imagine that you have a court arranged visitation schedule that allows you time with your child every other weekend. If the child’s other parent simply tells you that they have decided to unilaterally cancel your ability to see your child, you need to take immediate legal action. They do not have the right to make that decision. Your visitation rights may not be denied.
• Deflection: This occurs when your visitation rights have been interfered with, but ostensibly for a reason that is out of the other parent’s hands. For example, you may be told that you cannot visit on a specific weekend because your child needs to attend an out-of-town event for school or because your child is too sick. Of course, sometimes things do come up. However, if this keeps happening to you, you should be very concerned. Your visitation rights always come before any other events. All too often false reasons are used to slowly reduce your role in your child’s life.
• Degradation: Finally, it is important to remember that your visitation with your child is your time. If the child’s other parent is reducing the quality of your time with your child, they are unlawfully interfering with your rights. Unless there are restrictions from the court, the child’s other parent does not have the right to control what you do and where you go during your time with your kids.

How to Protect Your Rights

Under Florida law, you can take legal action to protect your visitation rights. Your rights can be enforced by using the court’s contempt powers. Contempt of a child custody, or child visitation order, occurs when one party has willfully violated the directions of the court. As soon as you notice visitation interference beginning, you need to take steps to document any violations. Save all information related to the interference, including e-mails, text messages and phone records. You should get those records into the hands of your attorney. Your family law attorney will be able to review the facts of your case and advise you on exactly what you should do next. The bottom line is that interference of your Florida child visitation rights can cause tremendous harm to your relationship with your children and you need to take action.

Contact Our Office Today

If you have any questions or concerns about visitation interference, or Florida child custody in general, the experienced family law attorneys at the Law Offices of Steve W. Marsee, P.A. are ready to help. Please do not hesitate to contact our Orlando office today to schedule a review of your case. Our firms proudly assists families throughout Central Florida.