Child Visitation Attorney in Panama City

Defending Your Rights as a Parent

At Seaton Law Offices, P.A. the firm knows how important it is for you to spend as much time as possible with your children, and are ready to fight to protect your right to an ample schedule of visitation after your divorce. The courts in Panama City prefer to grant each parent full access to the children, in recognition of how much children can benefit from having both a mother and father in their lives. Unfortunately, divorces frequently end with a parenting plan which makes it difficult or impossible for the non-custodial parent to play a role in the children's lives.

The attorneys at the firm can either seek to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the other parent, or can bring the case to a family law judge who will rule on the matter based on evidence and testimony from both sides. In either case, the goal is to demonstrate that it is in the best interests of the children to spend as much time as possible with you. The firm is prepared to defend you against objections from the other parent or even allegations of child abuse or domestic violence. In addition to arguing in favor of a generous time-sharing schedule, a lawyer can seek to secure shared parental responsibility, giving you a say in important matters such as medical care, education, discipline and religious upbringing.

Paternity Actions for Visitation Rights in Panama City

If you were not married to the mother of your child at the time of birth, you do not automatically have any legal rights or responsibilities in regards to the child. There is no legal presumption of the identity of the father of a child born out of wedlock. An attorney from the firm can represent you in a paternity action, possibly using DNA testing to prove that you are the father. At the conclusion of this action, you would then have the right to petition for rights of visitation and parental responsibility.

Interference with Child Visitation Rights

Interference usually refers to hindering some aspect of child custody. If one parent interferes with the other parent's relationship to the child and disparages him or her in front of the kids, a judge will not look well on this. Interference may be a factor in determining custody. Once custody is awarded, all too often, a custodial parent may bar the other parent from acting on his or her rights to visitation. He or she may even try to cut off communication between the non-custodial parent and the children altogether. The custodial parent can effectively keep the other parent away from children for months and even years at a time. If the other parent is running interference on your parental rights, you have legal recourse.

What Not to Do if the Custodial Parent Interferes

If this violation of your visitation rights is only once in a while, then those missed times must be made up. If the custodial parent refuses, you should certainly keep up any child support payments all the same. Your child needs to maintain a healthy relationship with you, and if the other parent is rejecting your visitation rights, then rejecting to support your child will not help.

If the charges of contempt stand, you could face a host of penalties, from wage garnishment or driver's license suspension, to being jailed and fined. You also cannot just step in and create your own time with your children. If you pick up the kids at an unscheduled time, or exceed the time scheduled for your visit, then the custodial parent can charge you with kidnapping. There are legal measures you can take to assert your parenting rights.

How to Defend Your Parental Rights

If the other parent is interfering with your parental rights, be sure to contact your lawyer. Sometimes all it can takes is an attorney sending a letter to the other parent. It can state that he or she is violating the court-ordered parenting plan, and you are ready to take the matter before a judge. This may be all the prompting necessary to get the other parent to cooperate. If the other parent continually foils your visitation rights, then you can file a petition to take your grievance to court. There are number of means that a judge can use to enforce court orders, since the other parent can be held in contempt of court. With the help of a family law attorney, you can enforce your children's rights to be with you, and your right to parent your children.