If you plan to get visitation of your children, you may be wondering how often you will see them. The answer varies depending on the circumstances, and you and the custodial parent should come to an agreement with the help of your lawyers. However, getting an idea of some common visitation arrangements may help you determine a good schedule.

One of the most common arrangements for visitation is every other weekend. This means the custodial parent gets the kids during the weekdays and every other weekend so that you see them on alternating weekends. This is especially good if you work traditional hours at a job so that you have weekends off to spend with the children. If this is not the case, you should consider other options so you get to make the most of your time during visitation.

Another option is getting the kids for many holidays. Most parents who take this route also see their children at times other than holidays, but this is often ideal for those who get most holidays off from work. If you cannot make a regular schedule during which you see your children, perhaps due to work, you can at least arrange to see them on the days you know you will have off. Then you can also likely see them as your schedule permits.

Some parents decide to share their children throughout the week, especially when weekends do not work well. This means that if you have two days off in the middle of the week, you might opt to get visitation those days. This way, you are not working the entire time you are supposed to be seeing your children, so you can get some quality time with them. You just need to figure out days and times that work well for the custodial parent, too, since he or she will likely have to either drop the children off or pick them up.

For some busy parents, weekdays do not work well since they have work, while the children have school. If this is the case, you should remember to be respectful of both the custodial parent’s work schedule and the kids’ school schedule, which means you should not keep the kids up late. You may also have to only see them in the day after school since they will likely need to return home at night. Of course, if the custodial parent agrees, you may be able to have them spend the night at your home as long as you drop them off at school each morning.