Visitation Presumption

The Mississippi Supreme Court has made it  clear that  the  objective of visitation is  that  “the  non-custodial  parent  .  .  .  and  child should  have as close and loving  a  relationship as possible, despite the fact that theymaynot live in the same house.” Dunn v. Dunn, 609 So. 2d 1277, 1286 (Miss. 1992) (citing Clark v. Myrick, 523 So. 2d 79, 83  (Miss. 1999)).  However,  the Court  has  also  found  that,  while  a  non-custodial  parent  is  presumptively entitled to  visitation as stated  in Griffin v. Griffin,  that  presumption can be overcome when “substantial  evidence”  justifies  doing  so.  Griffin  v.  Griffin,  237  So.  3d  743,  747  (Miss.  2018) (quoting Cox v. Mounds,  490 So. 2d 866, 870 (Miss. 1986)).   Cf.  Newsom  v. Newsom,  557 So. 2d 511, 517 (Miss. 1990) (emphasis removed) (holding “that the chancery  court has the power to restrict visitation in circumstances which present an appreciable danger of hazard cognizable in our law”).