Court Opinion

ID: 9730310
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 15:08:01.166514+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:05.710741
License: Public Domain

SACKETT, Judge
(dissenting in part).
I agree with the majority except that I would grant the mid-week visitation requested by the father.
I agree with the following statement made by Robert F. Cochran, Jr. and Paul C. Vitz:
When custody is granted to one parent, courts should generally order more visitation with the non-custodial parent than is presently being ordered. Such visitation should include not only weekend time, but time during the week....
Child Protective Divorce Laws: A Response to the Effects of Parental Separation on Children, FAMILY LAW QUARTERLY, Volume XVII, Number 3, Fall 1983.
To allow the parent not having physical care to spend time mid-week with a child is important. It allows the parent an opportunity to become involved in a child’s day-to-day activities and further charges the parent not having physical care with the responsibility of assisting the child with homework. With cooperation and flexibility between the parents, there should be no problem with such visitation. It is difficult to understand how the visit could be disruptive. Children are frequently away from home in the evening for a variety of reasons — what better reason than to spend time with one’s father.
The visitation should also be beneficial to the parent having physical care because it should give that parent time out from parenting with the knowledge that the child is in the care of someone who cares very much for the child. ’
OXBERGER, C.J., joins in this dissent.