It goes without saying that prolonged time without one's child can become excruciating. Yet that is exactly what countless Kentucky parents go through, regardless of how amicable the separation may have been. Child visitation rights can change from state to state, but a shift in Kentucky's visitation laws could make the process much simpler for parents and their children.
The Lexington Herald Leader reported earlier this year that a new child custody law in the state could pave the way for a brighter future in visitation. House Bill 492 allows children in divorced families to see both parents more often. Shared parenting may seem an evident need for children, but before this revised law, children went with a court-chosen parent -- despite their individual wants and needs. The Herald Leader celebrates this "win" for children in place of one parent or the other; following this trend, other states in the country have also begun revising their custody laws to better balance visitation for all families.
Shared parenting has the potential of changing the lives of millions of divorcing spouses and children, but this change nevertheless could present some issues. The Legal Aid Network of Kentucky provides information on visitation rights, showing that the ultimate decision to allow visitation is in the hands of courts. Unfortunately, not all child custody processes are smooth ones, as some parents simply cannot agree on who is best fit to care for children. There are many types of visitation laws, but courts have the power to examine many aspects of a parent's life, including drug or alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other behaviors that could damage or influence the children involved.
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