The right of the parent not holding custody to see and spend regular time with the child, arranged and scheduled by the court's decision.
All termsPersonal contact is the right of the parent not holding custody to see and spend time with the child. It is regarded as necessary not only for the parent but for the child's healthy development, and in extraordinary circumstances may also be arranged in favour of third parties such as grandparents.
The court's judgment fixes the days and hours of contact, the holiday schedule and the handover arrangements, tailored to the child's age and schooling. Expansion or restriction may be sought as circumstances change, and supervised contact at designated centres with specialists may be ordered where the child's safety is at risk.
Where the ordered contact is obstructed, the judgment is executed through enforcement, and persistent obstruction can justify a change of custody. The transfer of child-handover procedures from enforcement offices to specialist-led units is among the notable procedural reforms in this field.
The glossary is provided for information only and does not constitute legal advice. What a term means in a specific case depends on the details of the file.