Contact (law)

==Concept==

==Concept==

In most jurisdictions the nature of a couple's relationship is established when a child is born to that rddhsjelationship. In law, there may be differences in the consequences depending on whether the relationship is [[Heterosexuality|opposite-sex]] or [[Homosexuality|same-sex]], and whether it is in the form of a [[marriage]], a [[civil union]] or [[registered partnership]], or [[cohabitation]] without marriage. When one parent has [[sole custody]] of a child, there is usually court ordered ''contact''/''visitation'' with the [[non-custodial]] parent. The purpose is to ensure that the child can continue to maintain a relationship with both parents after divorce or separation, as well as in situations where the parents have never lived together. A common [[parenting plan|contact schedule]] is that the child spends every other weekend with the non-custodial parent, one weekday evening, certain holidays and a few weeks of summer vacation.See, e.g., {{cite web |title=Standard Possession Order and Parenting Time |url=http://www.txaccess.org/standard-possession-order-and-parenting-time |website=TXAccess.org |publisher=Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division |access-date=17 November 2019}}

In most jurisdictions the nature of a couple's relationship is established when a child is born to that relationship. In law, there may be differences in the consequences depending on whether the relationship is [[Heterosexuality|opposite-sex]] or [[Homosexuality|same-sex]], and whether it is in the form of a [[marriage]], a [[civil union]] or [[registered partnership]], or [[cohabitation]] without marriage. When one parent has [[sole custody]] of a child, there is usually court ordered ''contact''/''visitation'' with the [[non-custodial]] parent. The purpose is to ensure that the child can continue to maintain a relationship with both parents after divorce or separation, as well as in situations where the parents have never lived together. A common [[parenting plan|contact schedule]] is that the child spends every other weekend with the non-custodial parent, one weekday evening, certain holidays and a few weeks of summer vacation.See, e.g., {{cite web |title=Standard Possession Order and Parenting Time |url=http://www.txaccess.org/standard-possession-order-and-parenting-time |website=TXAccess.org |publisher=Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division |access-date=17 November 2019}}

Children are subject to the authority of their parents during the early years of their life, during what is termed their [[Minor (law)|minority]]. States impose a range of [[capacity (law)|incapacities]] until the children reach an age when they are deemed sufficiently mature to take responsibility for their own actions. Issues of access and custody interact and overlap, and represent all of the aspects of care and control that parents may exercise in relation to their children. The extent to which the courts have jurisdiction to regulate access will depend on the nature of the parents' relationship. In the event of the breakdown of the relationship between a minor child's parents, a court may define or modify a parent's access rights to the child within the context of proceedings for [[legal separation]], [[annulment]], [[divorce]] or [[child custody]]. Custody and access rights may be established in other manners, such as [[adoption]] or [[legal guardian]]ship. In some cases a court may appoint a [[guardian ad litem]] appointed to represent any child's interests within the context of custody litigation.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}

Children are subject to the authority of their parents during the early years of their life, during what is termed their [[Minor (law)|minority]]. States impose a range of [[capacity (law)|incapacities]] until the children reach an age when they are deemed sufficiently mature to take responsibility for their own actions. Issues of access and custody interact and overlap, and represent all of the aspects of care and control that parents may exercise in relation to their children. The extent to which the courts have jurisdiction to regulate access will depend on the nature of the parents' relationship. In the event of the breakdown of the relationship between a minor child's parents, a court may define or modify a parent's access rights to the child within the context of proceedings for [[legal separation]], [[annulment]], [[divorce]] or [[child custody]]. Custody and access rights may be established in other manners, such as [[adoption]] or [[legal guardian]]ship. In some cases a court may appoint a [[guardian ad litem]] appointed to represent any child's interests within the context of custody litigation.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}