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Who can get visitation in New York? Either parent, siblings and half-siblings, and grandparents can ask for visitation. The court will determine whether visitation is in the child's best interest. A parent is entitled to frequent and meaningful visitation, unless it is shown that it would be harmful to the child.

The non-custodial parent may have the right to receive medical or education information, but he/she does not make the decisions. Joint custody means that two parents (and sometimes other caregivers) share the authority to make decisions about the child.

Parents are obligated to follow a custody order's terms until a child reaches 18 or is emancipated. A custodial parent can face legal consequences for preventing visits between a child and the noncustodial parent. A child who refuses visitation puts a parent in a perilous situation.

Courts want the child to have a strong relationship with each parent if the parents are not together. However, if visitation would harm the child, the court can deny child visitation rights. For example, if a parent is abusive or neglectful towards the child or is abusing drugs, visitation rights may be denied.

Whether a child likes it or not, for the most part, compliance with court orders isn't optional. Minor children involved in a divorce in New York will be required to comply with the visitation orders of the courts, though children may resist at first.

In New York, there is no specific age when a child can decide who he or she wants to live with. The court has the final say until the child turns 18 years of age. In most cases, the circumstances of the situation will matter as much or more than the child's age.