Navigating Virtual Visitation Rights in Colorado

Virtual visitation is scheduled contact between a child and a parent by video call, phone, or messaging when the child is with the other parent. In Colorado, it is set in the parenting plan and supplements in-person parenting time rather than replacing it.

Clear terms let a child stay connected without turning every call into a dispute. Here is how virtual visitation fits into a Colorado plan and what good terms include.

How Virtual Visitation Fits Into a Parenting Plan

A Colorado child custody order allocates parenting time based on the child’s best interests. A parenting plan can also address how the child communicates with each parent when the child is not in that parent’s care.¹

Virtual contact is especially useful when parents live far apart, when a parent travels for work, or when a young child benefits from short, frequent contact. It does not reduce a parent’s in-person time unless the court orders that.

What Courts Consider

The court weighs the best-interest factors, including the physical distance between the parents and each parent’s ability to encourage the child’s relationship with the other parent.² A parent who blocks or monitors calls unreasonably may be seen as undermining that relationship.

Age and routine matter too. A toddler may benefit from brief daily calls, while a teenager may prefer messaging and flexible times.

Specific terms prevent many virtual visitation conflicts before they begin. Johnson Law Group offers a no-pressure consultation to draft terms that fit your family, so schedule a consultation before your plan is finalized.

Terms to Include

• Schedule. Days, times, and length of calls, with time zones if parents live apart.
• Platform. The apps or services the child will use and who provides the device.
• Privacy. Whether calls can be private and whether either parent may record them.
• Missed calls. How a missed call is made up and how much notice is needed to reschedule.
• Behavior. No discussing the case or the other parent negatively during calls.

Keep virtual visitation separate from parent-to-parent logistics. Co-parenting apps and tech tools, such as shared calendars and messaging, serve a different purpose than the child’s contact time.

When a Parent Moves Away

Virtual visitation can become part of the plan after a move. A move that substantially changes the child’s ties to the other parent is a child relocation issue, and virtual contact is often paired with longer in-person blocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can virtual visitation replace in-person parenting time?

No. Colorado treats parent-child communication outside parenting time as its own plan term, separate from the parenting time schedule. Changing in-person time requires a court order.

Talk With a Colorado Child Custody Attorney

Virtual visitation runs smoothly when the plan spells out the schedule and the ground rules. Johnson Law Group is here to help.

The attorneys at Johnson Law Group help parents build parenting plans that keep children connected to both homes and will give you a clear read on your options. Schedule a free consultation through our Colorado offices, and we will serve as your North Star from here.

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