Navigating Child Custody During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Not long after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) arrived in the United States, the president declared a national emergency. Since mid-March, states across the country have systematically shut down schools, movie theatres, entertainment venues, gyms, salons, and other “non-essential” businesses. Children are learning online, and parents are expected to homeschool their children. With all of these sweeping changes, virtually every aspect of our personal and professional lives have been impacted and family matters are no exception.

Child Custody Interrupted

As COVID-19 quickly disrupted Americans’ lives, parents were faced with many uncertainties in regard to childcare, online learning, and child custody. While some families have been managing child custody without any problems, others have been less fortunate. If parents can be accommodating and work with each other through this pandemic, that is ideal. But for those who don’t see eye-to-eye on who should get the children during the quarantine, an already stressful co-parenting situation is only worsened by family court closures. In the absence of domestic violence, most families will have to wait until the courts re-open to address their child custody orders. However, your attorney can make an application to the court for a court Skype conference to resolve visitation disputes

When Child Custody is an Issue During COVID-19

Many of our clients are navigating child custody during the pandemic in a healthy and positive manner, but that is not the case for every family. Some parents are taking advantage of the situation and refusing to let the other parent see their child during their court-ordered parenting time. Then, some parents are simply concerned about their child’s health and well-being. They’re worried the other parent isn’t practicing social distancing or good hygiene, so they feel it’s in their child’s best interests for them to stay away from the other parent until conditions improve.

If you have questions or concerns about child custody as a result of the pandemic, we invite you to contact our firm to obtain sound legal advice about your particular situation.