Legal Website for Ronald A. Ernst, Esquire

Visitation can be reasonable or restricted.  Restricted visitation generally means the visitation is supervised and/or confined to a particular place and time.  Since the Family Court encourages liberal and frequent visitation by a parent, compelling reasons have to be shown to restrict visitation.  Visitation Orders can be general or very specific depending upon the parents' ability to work together to solve problems as they arise.  Visitation Orders should also accommodate the geographic separation of the parents.

Joint custody is a term of art and has no exact meaning since under South Carolina law, both parents have access to a child's medical and educational records.  Primary focus should therefore be on ensuring that visitation provisions are fair, reasonable and enforceable.

If disputes arise over visitation, the Court will appoint a Guardian Ad Litem to represent the minor child (See the Guardian Ad Litem FAQ).  To assist the parties in resolving visitation disputes, the Court may also order or recommend mediation (See the Child Custody and Family Court FAQs).  The visitation provisions of a Family Court Order can be enforced through a Rule to Show Cause (See the Rule to Show Cause FAQ).  Visitation provisions can be modified upon showing a significant change in circumstances.