If you are a father living in Indianapolis and do not have primary custody, spending time with your child is probably extremely important to you. When you and your child’s other parent do not live in close proximity, arranging parenting time can be complicated. While it is always best for two parents to agree amicably on a schedule, sometimes the court does get involved. Here is what you need to know about the guidelines the court uses to determine parenting time in this situation.
According to the Indiana Rules of Court, the age of your child will be a huge factor in determining parenting time. Obviously, a child who is in school full-time has a much a different schedule than a baby or toddler. The court suggests that the non-custodial parent of a school-age child have the child during breaks from school, including several weeks over the summer. For children who are three or four years old, visits may last no longer than 8 days, with six weeks in between visits.
If your child is under the age of three, you may be entitled to two five-hour visits per week. However, as opposed to the situation with older children, these visits must take place near the custodial parent’s home. Therefore, if you live in another part of the state, you may be required to travel to visit your child, rather than the child coming to your home.
It is important to keep in mind that these are suggested guidelines and the court may consider each case individually and take special circumstances into consideration when deciding how much parenting time you are allotted. This information on this topic is general in nature and is not intended to be legal advice.
