You never wanted to get a divorce while your child was still under your roof, but obstacles in your marriage have become too much. You and your spouse agree that it’s time to get a divorce, but you aren’t sure how to handle custody. Your spouse wants to take a job a few hundred miles away, so visiting is possible regardless of who obtains custody, even though it’s a few hours to the new city.
You both agree that you want to keep your child in the same school and neighborhood for now, so your child is likely to stay with you regularly. How can you make sure their relationship stays strong, though? You don’t hate your spouse, and you want to make sure that your child grows up with a strong relationship with him.
Try digital visitation
One of the benefits of being alive in the age of the internet is the potential to use it for visitation. Whether you have a tablet, smartphone or computer, it’s possible to use a webcam to set up video conference calls. Over a video call, your ex-partner can speak with your child face-to-face at any time. Instead of recording videos of events, you can provide a live-feed for them. Never again does a parent have to miss a recital or event just because of distance.
Digital visitation is not a replacement for normal visitation rights. You’ll still want to make arrangements for your child to travel to your ex-spouse’s new home as regularly as possible, even if that’s only on school breaks or over the summer holidays.
It’s hard to live apart from your child, but thanks to digital visitation, it’s easier than ever to stay connected. Consider including it in any visitation plan you come up with, so your child can communicate with his or her other parent freely.