Military Divorce Lawyer

Virtual visitation, also known as electronic or online visitation, refers to the use of technology to facilitate communication and interaction between parents and their children when physical visitation is challenging or not possible. When one co-parent is in the military, virtual visitation can provide numerous benefits for maintaining and strengthening the parent-child relationship.

The Benefits of Virtual Visitation Terms

As an experienced military divorce lawyer – including those who practice at Robinson & Hadeed – can confirm, setting clear expectations for virtual visitation is crucial to making this kind of arrangement work well for both co-parents and their child. When those expectations are formally put in place, the following key advantages of virtual visitation may follow relatively seamlessly:

1. Enhanced Communication: Virtual visitation allows military parents to stay connected with their children despite being geographically separated. Through video calls, messaging apps, or email, parents can engage in real-time conversations, share daily experiences, provide guidance, and offer emotional support. This regular communication helps maintain a strong bond between the military parent and the child, even when physical visitation is limited.
2. Regular Contact: Deployments or military assignments often involve significant time away from home. Virtual visitation enables more frequent contact between the military parent and the child, ensuring that they can maintain a consistent connection. Regular communication helps children feel secure, provides reassurance, and allows for ongoing involvement of the military parent in their lives.
3. Visual Interaction: Video calls or video messaging platforms allow for visual interaction between the military parent and the child. Seeing each other’s facial expressions, body language, and everyday surroundings can enhance the quality of communication and create a sense of presence, despite the physical distance. Visual interaction also enables shared experiences like reading bedtime stories, participating in special events, or even virtually attending school functions.
4. Maintaining Routine and Structure: Military life can disrupt the regular routines and structures within a family. Virtual visitation provides an opportunity for the military parent to maintain consistency and contribute to the child’s daily routine. By engaging in virtual meal times, homework assistance, bedtime routines, or other activities, the military parent can continue to play an active role in the child’s life, even from a distance.
5. Emotional Support and Coping: Deployments and military duties can be emotionally challenging for both the military parent and the child. Virtual visitation offers a platform for emotional support and coping strategies. It allows the military parent to offer comfort, guidance, and reassurance during stressful times. Additionally, children can express their feelings, share their experiences, and receive support from the military parent, fostering emotional well-being and resilience.
6. Parent-Child Bonding: Virtual visitation helps maintain and strengthen the parent-child bond, even when physical contact is limited. Regular communication and interaction through technology allow for the continuation of shared activities, such as playing games, engaging in hobbies, or engaging in virtual outings. These shared experiences contribute to the parent-child relationship, promoting a sense of connection and emotional closeness.
7. Documentation and Memories: Virtual visitation provides an opportunity for the military parent and the child to create and document memories. Through virtual platforms, they can capture and share special moments, milestones, and achievements. These shared memories can help foster a sense of belonging, pride, and shared history, even when physical presence is not possible.

Overall, virtual visitation offers numerous benefits for military co-parents, enabling ongoing communication, support, and involvement in their children’s lives. It helps bridge the gap caused by military obligations, ensuring that the parent-child relationship remains strong, despite the challenges of physical distance. As a result, it is an opportunity worthy of consideration for co-parents when at least one of them is in the military.