One of the challenges facing divorced parents is their location relative to the location of their child’s other parent. If one parent needs to move, it can create a host of challenges: for both parents, and for the children. Virtual visitation can help keep a parent and child connected when a child lives too far from a parent to have in-person visits all that often. Virtual visitation is never a substitute for in-person parenting time, but in some cases, it can help to nurture the bond between a parent and child when they cannot be together.

What is virtual visitation?

Virtual visitation uses technology as a tool for bringing families together. Both the child and the parent use either a smartphone, or webcam on a computer, to video conference with each other. Many parents already use video conferencing technology such as FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Skype and other programs to keep children and grandparents in touch with each other. When a parent is deployed in the military, there are times when they can video chat with their family back at home.

Virtual visitation can benefit both the parent and the child

Seeing the other person and interacting with them visually and in real time makes communication much more meaningful. It is important for young children to be able to hear their parent’s voice and interact with them when they must be separated for long periods of time.

The absent parent can help the child work on homework, play games together, work on a project or learn new things. They can also be available as a listening ear for the child after a challenging day at school. The parent feels more thoroughly involved in their child’s daily life, and the child feels connected to their other parent despite not being able to be with them in person as often as they would like.

In cases where a judge has decided that a parent’s relocation after divorce is in the best interest of the child, virtual visitation might be an effective way to keep parent-child bonds strong when they are unable to be together.

Finally – and especially in cases where parents live hours away from each other – virtual visitation can be more cost-effective. Plane tickets, train tickets, gas and mileage (as well as wear and tear on a vehicle) can be cost-prohibitive. If parents are financially insecure, it can be a real challenge to spend time in the same physical space as their children. Virtual visitation can help ease some of the financial burdens by allowing parents to save money for trips.

Is there a down side of virtual visitation?

The same financial benefit, however, does pose a potential risk. One downside to virtual visitation might be that parents might begin to believe that it is a viable substitute for in-person visits when it is not. The child benefits from spending time and building a relationship with both parents, and this requires spending time in each other’s presence, not just looking at their face on the screen.

Another potential drawback comes in the form of the vengeful parent. There are some concerns that one parent could use this type of parenting time as a way to keep the child from physically visiting or living with the other parent. There are laws in place in Tennessee that prohibit these types of retaliatory measures regarding custody (i.e., denying parenting time because a parent is behind on his or her custody payments), but without a good plan in place, it is possible that “virtual” will become the only type of visitation there is.

Working out child custody decisions is a challenging aspect of divorce. Our experienced Nashville child custody lawyers are here to be a resource as you navigate the complicated process of divorce and deciding child custody. You are encouraged to call 615-391-4200 or use our contact form to reserve an in-person or video consultation with the dedicated legal team at Miller Upshaw Family Law, PLLC.