Updated November 27, 2023
The legal terms “child custody” and “visitation” are quickly being replaced in the Connecticut divorce court system. Connecticut divorce lawyers and judges use terms like “parenting time,” “parenting plan,” and “parental responsibility.” If you are considering divorce, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the updated terminology, so read on!
The New Legal Terms for “Child Custody” and “Visitation” in Connecticut Divorces
Parenting Time
“Parenting time” is the time a parent spends with a child. The old term for this was “visitation.” The new term, “parenting time,” reflects that any time a child is with either parent, that parent is parenting, not just visiting.
Parenting Plan
“Parenting plans” are the new “custody agreement.” These plans include more information than just what parent has custody of the child or children. For example, a parenting plan often includes elements like parenting time, legal decision-making authority, financial support terms, and rules around how parents communicate about the child.
Parental Responsibility
“Parental responsibility” refers to the set of rights and privileges that children have with their parents. Typically, parental responsibilities include both parenting time and decision-making responsibilities.
Next Steps
The specifics of how custody, visitation, and parenting might work in your Connecticut divorce depends on the ins and outs of your family situation, your children, and your goals for your children.
Our first step at Freed Marcroft, the Goals & Planning Conference, is designed to get to the heart of your problem and unveil your true goals for your life. Once we discover your goals for your life, we can take our collective experience with divorce, law, the available ways to divorce, strategy, courts, judges, and other lawyers, and build a divorce customized for you.
