Virtual Visitation Being Ordered on More Frequent Basis
For those dealing with long-distance visitation and/or relocation issues, judges are beginning to require "virtual visitation" on an ever-increasing basis. A recent article explained that a New York judge has ordered that a Long Island mother make her two children available to talk to their father via Skype, an online video conferencing service, as a condition of her move to Florida.
While this was apparently the first time a judge in that state has required video conferencing, judges here in South Carolina have done it in certain cases for quite some time. Today's technology provides many tools, such as e-mail, instant messaging and Web cams. Obviously, chatting virtually is not as good as actual, "face-to-face" visitation, but for parents who live a great distance from their children, it is far superior to merely talking by telephone.
If you want to learn more about these issues, you can review the following resources:
- "Live-Action Interaction: Virtual Visitation Diminishes Distances Between Divorced Parents and Their Kids" published in the ABA Journal (2005)
- "Virtual Parents: How Virtual Visitation Legislation Is Shaping the Future of Custody Law" published Journal of Law and Family Studies
Source: "Judge Orders Skype Visits as Condition of Mom’s Move" by Molly McDonough, published at the ABA Journal | Law News Now.
This is another good sign of courts accepting new technology (in this case, Skype)... in order to make sure that the children are able to keep in communication w/ their father.
-Daniel
This blog is great resource for Family Law. Thank you