An Arizona court ruling says a parent opposing visitation of a child by a nonparent such as a former boyfriend or girlfriend normally shouldn't have to justify his or her position.
The state Court of Appeals ruling issued Thursday guides judges on how to interpret a 2013 state law requiring that courts give "special weight" to a parent's decision to oppose visitation of a child by a nonparent.
The ruling says that means the nonparent must show why visitation is needed to serve the child's interests.
The ruling was issued in an appeal of a judge's ruling against a mother who opposed visitation by her former girlfriend.
The mother, her out-of-wedlock daughter and her former girlfriend lived together for five years. The mother ended visitation when she married another woman.
