For many parents, losing visitation rights after a divorce is one of their worst fears. Spending time with your child may be very important to you, especially while you are dealing with the aftermath of a divorce. Unfortunately, there are a number of circumstances that can lead to your loss of visitation rights. It is important to be aware of these factors as you move forward, as this knowledge can help you avoid this situation in the future. 

If you feel like you are in danger of losing your visitation rights, the first thing you need to do is reach out to an attorney. You should select a family law attorney who is experienced in issues of child custody, like the compassionate professionals at Lankford & Moore. We can help you maintain your visitation rights, even if your former spouse seems intent on preventing you from seeing your child. 

Failing to Pay Child Support

In Georgia, there are a number of things that can lead to the termination of parental rights. One of these things is failing to pay child support. If you willfully failed to comply with a child support order for 12 months or longer, your parental rights are in danger of being terminated. This can affect your visitation rights.

Parental Misconduct or Instability

Another factor that can lead to the termination of your parental rights is “parental misconduct or instability.” In order to be charged with this offense, there are several things that need to happen:

• The child becomes deprived
• You failed to exercise proper parental care, leading to the child becoming deprived
• The cause of the child’s deprivations are likely to continue
• The deprivation will likely cause physical, mental, emotional, or moral harm to the child

Abuse or Neglect

If you are accused of child abuse or neglect, you will likely lose visitation rights. This is because the court assumes that you are a risk to the child. In most situations, this will result in fewer visits with your child, and your visits may need to be supervised in the future. 

Abduction

If you are accused of abducting your child, your visitation schedule will usually be severely limited. You may also lose custody of your child. The court may believe that you will attempt to flee with your child when you visit with them in the future, leading to fewer visits. In addition, these visits may be supervised. Keep in mind that it is relatively easy to be charged with abduction, especially if you accidentally cross state borders with your child and your former spouse is not informed ahead of time. 

Enlist the Help of a Qualified Attorney Today

If you have been searching for a qualified, experienced family law attorney in Georgia who can help you with child custody concerns, look no further than Lankford & Moore Law. We have considerable experience with child custody cases in Georgia, and we can help you maintain your visitation rights. Remember, most judges in Georgia agree that it is very important for children to spend time with both parents. Reach out today, and we can make sure that your rights as a parent are being respected.