Opinion ID: 1843239
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Parenting Time/Visitation

Text: [11] Mandy argues that the trial court abused its discretion by awarding her reasonable rights of visitation with Taylar rather than specific parenting time. Generally, a reasonable visitation schedule is one that provides a satisfactory basis for preserving and fostering a child's relationship with the noncustodial parent, and the determination of reasonableness is to be made on a case-by-case basis. Vogel, supra . At trial, Mandy requested that she be awarded visitation rights every other holiday, as well as 6 to 8 weeks in the summer in the event Sean was granted permanent custody. The record reflects that when Taylar was in the custody of Mandy, the parties arranged for reasonable visitation with Sean without the necessity of a court order. Mandy testified that she had been pretty lenient with Sean, allowing him to see Taylar whenever he wants, and that she had never denied him visitation. Sean indicated at trial that he likewise had no objections to Mandy's being awarded reasonable rights of visitation. The district court did not explain its reasons for ordering reasonable rights of visitation instead of a specific visitation schedule. [12] Although we have held that the initial custody determination in this case was not governed by the analysis used in parental relocation cases, it nevertheless does involve circumstances where the custodial and noncustodial parents reside in different states hundreds of miles apart. Thus, as in the parental relocation cases, preservation of the familial relationship between the minor child and the noncustodial parent is an important objective in the exercise of the court's equity jurisdiction. In the absence of a stipulation or agreement, the fact that the parties were able to agree upon reasonable visitation before custody became a contested issue provides no assurance that they will be able to do so now that the court has resolved the issue in favor of one parent and against the other. Where, as here, a noncustodial parent of a child who resides with a custodial parent in another state requests a Nebraska court having jurisdiction to specify his or her visitation rights and parenting time, we conclude that it is an abuse of discretion not to do so. Resolution of this issue as a part of the custody determination serves the best interests of the child, the parents, and efficient judicial administration. The record does not afford sufficient current information about the circumstances of the parties to enable us to fashion a specific visitation order. Accordingly, we vacate that portion of the decree granting Mandy reasonable rights of visitation with Taylar and remand the cause for further proceedings for a determination of Mandy's specific visitation rights and parenting time.