My Ex Has Not Had Contact With Our Children Since The Divorce Two Years Ago. Now He Suddenly Wants A Lot Of Visitation. Will A Court Allow That In Florida?

The court wants children to have a relationship with both parents, if possible.

The court will examine the entire situation, including the father’s history with the children, and why he was gone for so long.

A court normally will encourage the father to have visitation with the kids.

If you are concerned about these visits being too much, too soon, you need to address that with the court.

If you feel that your ex is not able to properly care for the children, you need to be prepared to show why.

Be ready to put forth a strong case about why visitation should not be allowed, or should be curtailed.

It’s likely that the court will order a schedule that allows your ex to get to know your children again over a period of time.

Visitation will probably start gradually, and then build up to a normal visitation schedule.

You can ask the court that no overnights be allowed for a period of time, or that the visitation be supervised.

You could also ask that you be present at the visitation at the beginning.

However, the court is unlikely to order supervised visitation for any extended period of time except in extreme circumstances.

Whatever visitation the court decides to order, it is up to you as a parent to show your children that you are ready to accept the situation.

If you are apprehensive, this can make your children nervous about the visits and could harm their relationship long-term.

If your ex has suddenly asked for visitation, you should speak with an attorney.

You need to present a strong case in court about why such visitation would be detrimental to the children.