§ 43-111.1A. Standard visitation schedule – Advisory guidelines.

A.  By January 1, 2005, the Administrative Director of the Courts shall have developed a standard visitation schedule and advisory guidelines which may be used by the district courts of this state as deemed necessary.

B.  The standard visitation schedule should include a minimum graduated visitation schedule for children under the age of five (5) years and a minimum graduated visitation schedule for children five (5) years of age through seventeen (17) years of age.  In addition, the standard visitation schedule should address:

1.  Midweek and weekend time-sharing;

2.  Differing geographical residences of the custodian and noncustodian of the child requesting visitation;

3.  Holidays, including Friday and Monday holidays;

4.  Summer vacation break;

5.  Midterm school breaks;

6.  Notice requirements and authorized reasons for cancellations of visitation;

7.  Transportation and transportation costs, including pick up and return of the child;

8.  Religious, school, and extracurricular activities;

9.  Grandparent and relative contact;

10.  The birthday of the child;

11.  Sibling visitation schedules;

12.  Special circumstances, including, but not limited to, emergencies; and

13.  Any other standards deemed necessary by the Administrative Director of the Courts.

C.  1.  The Administrative Director of the Courts shall develop advisory guidelines for use by the district courts when parties to any action concerning the custody of a child are unable to mutually agree upon a visitation schedule.

2.  The advisory guidelines should include the following considerations at a minimum:

a.              a preference for visitation schedules that are mutually agreed upon by both parents over a court-imposed solution,

b.              a visitation schedule which should maximize the continuity and stability of the life of the child,

c.              special considerations should be given to each parent to make the child available to attend family functions, including funerals, weddings, family reunions, religious holidays, important ceremonies, and other significant events in the life of the child or in the life of either parent which may inadvertently conflict with the visitation schedule,

d.              a visitation schedule which will not interrupt the regular school hours of the child,

e.              a visitation schedule should reasonably accommodate the work schedule of both parents and may increase the visitation time allowed to the noncustodial parent but should not diminish the standardized visitation schedule provided in Section 111.1 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes,

f.              a visitation schedule should reasonably accommodate the distance between the parties and the expense of exercising visitation,

g.              each parent should permit and encourage liberal electronic contact during reasonable hours and uncensored mail privileges with the child, and

h.              each parent should be entitled to an equal division of major religious holidays celebrated by the parents, and the parent who celebrates a religious holiday that the other parent does not celebrate shall have the right to be together with the child on the religious holiday.

D.  The Administrative Director of the Courts shall:

1.  Make the standard visitation schedule and advisory guidelines available to the district courts of this state; and

2.  Periodically review and update the guidelines as deemed necessary.

Added by Laws 2004, c. 422, § 1, eff. July 1, 2004.