Law Office of John W. Bissell, P.C.

    To acknowledge that a non-custodial spouse is entitled to parenting time does not go far enough. The limited periods that a non-custodial parent spends with his or her child/children should be quality time. This parenting time should maintain the highest priority in the children's schedule. There are situations (usually involving child endangerment and/or substance abuse) when parenting time should be supervised or eliminated entirely.

While it is true that the parties are divorcing but neither is being divorced from their children, the fact remains that the non-custodial parent has limited time with the children. Issues relating to parenting time should focus on quality. The “merging” of families following divorce present special difficulties and imaginative solutions may be required to avoid unnecessary harm.