Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act Approved by Panel
Sep 6, 2012
Fairfax, VA (Law Firm Newswire) September 5, 2012 – The Uniform Law Commission has provided their final approval for the Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act, a codification of rights for deployed military parents.
Used by various state legislatures, the Act attempts to unify the rights of military parents in custody arrangements.
Because military personnel often live in different states and on a variety of bases, individual state legislatures may have adopted their own child custody and visitation rules. However, if these rules vary widely by state, there could be confusion created by all the differences. Furthermore, it is common for military personnel to change bases, and when that happens, they might be subject to another set of rules, depending on the new location.
Additionally, many military personnel are deployed and divorced or going through a divorce. With all of the possibilities military personnel face when trying to maintain relationships with their children, during or after a divorce, having one unified set of rules is very helpful. Throw in the fact they are deployed in foreign countries, and sometimes in harms’ way with very chaotic schedules, and it becomes even more valuable to have a clear set of rules for guiding communication, such as virtual visitation and physical visits as well.
There are many scenarios such rules must address, such as the rights of grandparents to visit, when a parent is deployed and what to do when a parent returns from a deployment, if there has been a temporary custody situation with the other parent.
In some cases, military parents do not fully know their rights, partly because they are new parents and the legal issues are also new to them, and partly because divorce is something they never wanted to face, so they did not learn enough about it before it happened.
“The complexity of some of these real life situations can be overwhelming, especially for young parents who are very focused on taking care of their families,” said Fairfax divorce attorney Lisa McDevitt. Having a lawyer who is well-versed in this type of law can be very beneficial in reducing stress, saving time and reducing financial burden.
Lisa Lane McDevitt
2155 Bonaventure Drive
Vienna, VA 22181
Phone: 571-223-7642
Toll Free: 866-602-7850
http://www.mcdevittlaw.net/
