Child Custody and Visitation Information by State

Having the right child custody and visitation information can make all the difference in your case. However, this is often a challenging task because the laws and procedures that apply to you will depend on the state, and even the county, where you live.

To make the search easier for you, below you can find links to child custody and visitation information at the national and state levels-- including information on parenting plans and agreements where available. You may also find what you're looking for on our state-specific Family Courts and Family Law Forms pages.

To suggest a resource for this page, please e-mail us.

National

• Grandparents' Visitation Rights (AARP)
• The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (DOJ)

Alabama

• Self Help Legal Info: Child Custody (Alabama Legal Aid)
  
• Kinship Care: Grandparents and Relatives as Parents (Alabama Cooperative Extension System)

Alaska

• How to Make a Parenting Plans (Alaska Court System)
• Parenting and Custody (Alaska Court System)
• Modifying Child Custody and Child Support (Alaska Court System)

Arizona

• Establish Parenting Time Packet [PDF] (Arizona Supreme Court)
• Establish Custody (Arizona Supreme Court)

Arkansas

• Child Custody & Visitation Fact Sheet [PDF] (Arkansas Legal Services Partnership)
• From Parent Wars to Co-Parenting [PDF] (Arkansas State Bar)
• Grandparent Visitation Fact Sheet [PDF] (Arkansas Legal Services Partnership)

California

• Custody & Visitation Information (California Courts)
• Child Custody Mediation (California Superior Court, Alameda County)

Colorado

• Children Not Living at Home - Handbook [PDF]
• How Family Mediation May Work For You [PDF] (Colorado Judicial Branch)
• Connecting With Your Kids [PDF] (Colorado Foundation for Families and Children)
• Modifying Custody or Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (Colorado Judicial Branch)

Connecticut

• Child Custody Actions in Connecticut (Connecticut Judicial Branch)

Delaware

• Child Custody Overview (Delaware State Courts)
• 3rd Party/Grandparent Visitation (Delaware State Courts)
• Registration of Foreign Custody Orders [PDF] (Delaware State Courts)

District of Columbia

• Custody and Visitation [PDF] (D.C. Bar Association)
• Custody Jurisdiction Decision Tree (D.C. Family Court Self Help Center)
• Guardianship Procedures [PDF] (District of Columbia Courts)

Florida

• Non-primary residential parent visitation schedule [PDF] (Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida)

Georgia

• Child Custody (State of Georgia)
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (Division of Child Support Services)
• Child Access and Visitation (Georgia Dept. of Human Services)

Hawaii

• Family Courts (Hawaii State Judiciary)
• Facts about Getting a Divorce in Hawai'i (Hawaii State Judiciary)
• Purple Family video Info and order form. (O`ahu's Kids First)

Idaho

• Child Development and Parents Who Don't Live Together (Third Judicial District Court)
• Custody Complaint Packet (Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc.)

llinois

• How to request a visitation order in Illinois [PDF] (Southern Illinois University School of Law)
• How to enforce a visitation order in Illinois [PDF] (Southern Illinois University School of Law)
• How to modify a visitation order in Illinois [PDF] (Southern Illinois University School of Law)
• Modification of a custody order in Illinois [PDF] (Southern Illinois University School of Law)
• Family Mediation [PDF] (Southern Illinois University School of Law)

Indiana

• Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines (Indiana Judiciary}

Iowa

• Child Custody (Iowa Judiciary)

Kansas

• Child Custody, Support and Visitation Rights (Kansas Bar Association)

Kentucky

• What is Child Custody? (Legal Aid Network of Kentucky)

Louisiana

• Divorce: Who Gets Custody? Who Pays Support? [PDF] (Louisiana State Bar Association)
• Child Support Enforcement Access and Visitation

Maine

• Grandparent Visitation Rights (Pine Tree Legal Assistance/Maine Judicial Branch )
• Guardianship / Custody (Maine DHHS)

Maryland

• Divorce and Custody Mediation (People's Law Library of Maryland))
• Mediation and Other Forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (Maryland Courts)

Massachusetts

• Planning for Shared Parenting [PDF] (Mass Legal Help)
• Massachusetts Law About Child Custody (MA Trial Court Law Libraries)
• Massachusetts Law About Grandparents' Visitation (MA Trial Court Law Libraries)

Michigan

• Michigan Parenting Time Guideline [PDF] (State Court Administrative Office)
• Custody and Parenting Time (Michigan Legal Help)

Minnesota

• Child Custody and Parenting Time (Minnesota Judicial Branch)
• Minnesota Kinship Caregivers Association (MKCA) (Minnesota Department of Human Services)

Mississippi

• Mississippi Law on Custody and Visitation [PDF] (The Mississippi Bar)

Missouri

• Supportive Co-Parenting (University of Missouri Extension)
• Motion to Modify Child Custody and Support (Missouri Courts)
• You Are Still Parents (Missouri Bar Association)

Montana

• Child Custody, Parenting Plans, Visitation (Montana Courts)
• Nonresidential Parenting After Divorce [PDF] (MSU Extension Family and Human Development)

Nebraska

• Establishing Paternity, Custody, Parenting Time, and Child Support (State of Nebraska Judicial Branch)
• Family Law and Domestic Violence (Legal Aid of Nebraska )

Nevada

• Filing for Custody, Paternity, and Child Support (Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada)
• Legal Resources by Subject (Nevada Judiciary)

New Hampshire

• How to File for Child Custody and Child Support (New Hampshire Superior Court)

New Jersey

• Kinship Care (New Jersey Department of Human Services)

New Mexico

• Establishing Parentage, Custody, or Child Support (New Mexico 2nd Judicial District)
• Grandparenting [PDF] (New Mexico University Cooperative Extension Service)

New York

• Custody (New York Courts)
• Child Custody and Visitation in New York (Legal Assistance of Western New York)

North Carolina

• Child Custody, Visitation, and Child Support (North Carolina Bar Assoc.)

North Dakota

• Parenting Time (Visitation) Facts (NDDHS, Child Support Enforcement)

Ohio

• Ohio Law Guides Parenting Plans in Divorce and Custody Cases
• Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren (Ohio State University Extension)

Oklahoma

• Standard Visitation Schedule & Advisory Guidelines [PDF] (Supreme Court of Oklahoma)
• Co-Parenting Through Divorce [PDF] (OSU Extension)

Oregon

• Custody and Parenting Time (Oregon State Bar)
• Basic Parenting Plan Guide (Oregon Courts)
• Oregon's Legal Guide for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children

Pennsylvania

• Child Custody (Pennsylvania Bar Association)

Rhode Island

• Commonly asked questions by Non-Custodial Parents [PDF] (Rhode Island Dept. of Human Services)
• Commonly asked questions by Custodial Parents [PDF] (Rhode Island Dept. of Human Services)
• More...

South Carolina

• Child Custody (South Carolina Bar)
• Visitation Rights After Divorce or Separation (South Carolina Bar)

South Dakota

• Parenting Time Guidelines [PDF] (South Dakota Unified Judicial System)

Tennessee

• Parenting Plan Information (Administrative Office of the Tennessee Courts)
• Fourth Circuit Parenting Plan Rules [PDF] (Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County)
• Fourth Circuit Minimum Parenting Plan Requirements [PDF]
• Parenting Apart: Effective Co-Parenting [PDF] (University of Tennessee Extension)

Texas

• Handbook for Non-Custodial Parents (Office of the Attorney General)

Utah

• Child Custody and Parent Time (Utah Courts)

Vermont

• Family (Vermont Judiciary)
• Kinship Caregivers [PDF] (Vermont Department for Children and Families)
• Child Custody and Visitation (Vermont Legal Help)

Virginia

• Child Custody and Visitation (Circuit Court of Fairfax County)
• Frequently Asked Questions About Virginia's Court System (Virginia State Bar)
• Spare the Child [PDF] (Virginia State Bar)

Washington

• Washington Parenting Law for Unmarried Couples Who Are Separating (Washington Law Help)
• Your Rights and Responsibilities (Washington Dept. of Social and Health Services)

West Virginia

• Parenting Plan (West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals)
• Parenting Plan Instructions (West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals)

Wisconsin

• Grandparents/Relatives Raising and Nurturing Dependent Children [PDF] (University of Wisconsin-Extension)
• Child Custody and Visitation (Wisconsin State Law Library)

Wyoming

• Wyoming Resource Guide for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren [PDF] (AARP Wyoming)
• Child Custody and Visitation (Equal Justice Wyoming)

Get Professional Legal Help with Your Child Custody Case

Child custody and visitation information varies by state, but forms and other resources are available. However, nothing matches the support that an experienced family law attorney can provide, as they are well versed in the laws of your state and can be your strongest advocate with the court. Get started today by finding a skilled family law attorney in your state.