What Does Parenting Time Mean in Family Court and How Is It Determined?

As of 2024, the Access and Visitation (AV) Program is a resource granted to unmarried parents to establish visitation and access rights. For the fiscal year 2023, 42% of non-custodial fathers participated in the AV Program, according to the United States Office of Child Support Services.

Parenting time, often referred to as visitation, is an aspect of family law that addresses the time a non-custodial parent spends with their child.

What Does Parenting Time Mean in Family Court and How Is It Determined?


As families deal with separation or divorce, determining parenting time becomes necessary to make sure children maintain meaningful relationships with both parents. Parenting time is planned with the child’s best interests taken into account.

The emotional health of a child is greatly affected by the family court, which oversees parental time. Parenting time establishes the parameters under which a parent can be with a child following separation or divorce.

Let's look into what parenting time means in family court and the factors that influence it.