Visitation Rights in Bristol County

Bristol County’s Parenting Time Attorney, with the Resources to Back You Up

When parenting time is in dispute, or when you’re establishing a schedule for the first time, the decisions made now shape your relationship with your child for years. At Law Offices of Rachel M. Matos, we represent parents throughout Bristol County in visitation and parenting-time matters, whether that means reaching a negotiated agreement or presenting your case before a judge.

Attorney Rachel M. Matos offers free consultations, in person or by video, for Bristol County parents with questions about parenting time or visitation rights. Call us at (508) 206-9334 to get started.

How Massachusetts Law Governs Parenting Time

Massachusetts courts use the term parenting time for a non-custodial parent’s scheduled time with a child. The word visitation appears in Massachusetts law primarily in supervised visitation and grandparent visitation contexts. Both terms appear throughout this page because both reflect how parents search for help.

Every parenting-time decision in Massachusetts is governed by the best interests of the child standard. Judges focus on the child’s needs, not parental preferences. Under MGL c. 208 s. 31, which covers shared custody arrangements, the court weighs each parent’s existing relationship with the child, the child’s age and health, and each parent’s willingness to support a workable parenting arrangement. When parents share legal custody but one has primary physical custody, the court sets a parenting-time schedule for the other parent. That schedule can be agreed upon by the parents and adopted as a court order by the Bristol Probate and Family Court, or set by a judge after a contested hearing.

Types of Visitation & Parenting-Time Arrangements

Not every family needs the same arrangement. Massachusetts courts recognize several distinct types depending on the circumstances.

Standard Parenting Time
The non-custodial parent receives regular scheduled time with the child, typically covering weekdays, alternating weekends, holidays, school vacations, and summer periods. This is the most common arrangement in Bristol County divorce and separation cases.

Supervised Visitation
When the court finds that unsupervised contact poses a risk to the child’s safety, visits may be ordered to take place in the presence of an approved third party or at a supervised visitation center. This arrangement is common in situations involving concerns about abuse, neglect, or substance use. MGL c. 209 s. 38 specifically addresses custody and visitation orders where abuse of a parent or child has been alleged.

Grandparent Visitation
Under MGL c. 119 s. 39D, grandparents may petition the Probate and Family Court for visitation rights when a child’s parents are divorced, married but living apart, under a temporary order or judgment of separate support, when one or both parents are deceased, or when the child was born out of wedlock and the parents don’t reside together. A grandparent must demonstrate a prior meaningful relationship with the grandchild and show that denying visitation would cause the child significant harm. Because courts presume that a fit parent’s decision about contact is in the child’s best interest, the burden on a petitioning grandparent is real.

How We Represent Bristol County Parents in Visitation Disputes

We handle parenting-time and visitation matters within the full context of a family’s situation, whether you’re going through a divorce, navigating an unmarried-parent separation, or returning to court on a post-judgment issue. Attorney Matos is a Certified Financial Litigator, which supports matters where financial disputes and parenting-time questions arise together.

When the facts require it, we draw on a network of private investigators, forensic experts, and financial analysts to build the record a client needs. Many parenting-time disputes are resolved through negotiated agreements, and we pursue that path whenever it serves our clients. When it doesn’t, we represent parents in contested hearings before the Bristol Probate and Family Court in Taunton, which serves all cities and towns in Bristol County.

Attorney Matos is a member of both the Bristol County Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association and received Super Lawyers Rising Stars recognition in 2023.

Modifying an Existing Parenting-Time Order

Circumstances change. A parent may relocate, a work schedule may shift significantly, or a child’s needs may evolve in ways the original order didn’t anticipate. Massachusetts courts allow modification of an existing parenting-time or visitation order when there has been a material and substantial change in circumstances since the order was entered.

A modification case in Bristol County follows a process similar to the original proceeding. If both parents agree on the change, they can submit a joint modification agreement to the Bristol Probate and Family Court for approval. If they disagree, the court schedules a hearing where both sides present evidence. A parent’s consistent failure to follow the existing order can itself be grounds to seek a modification.

Start with a Free Consultation

If you have questions about parenting time, supervised visitation, grandparent visitation rights, or modifying an existing order, we’re ready to help. We serve parents throughout Bristol County and offer free consultations in person or by video so you can get clear answers without waiting.

Don’t navigate a visitation or parenting-time dispute alone. Call Law Offices of Rachel M. Matos at (508) 206-9334 to schedule your free consultation with a visitation attorney serving Bristol County.