Supervised visitation, also referred to as supervised contact or supervised parenting, allows the noncustodial parent to visit with their child only when supervised by another adult. This type of visitation is designed to keep the child safe, while supporting the parent-child relationship.
If supervised visitation is necessary, the court will order it and mandate it to be a part of the parenting plan. The parents may also need to prepare a visitation schedule to allow the supervised visits to happen.
When Is Supervised Child Visitation Necessary?
The court will look at the specific facts of each case to determine if it is necessary to implement supervised child visitation. Although this decision is case-specific, below are some situations that may require supervised visitation:
- There has been physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of the child by a parent
- There has been physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of one parent by the other parent
- A parent has a substance abuse problem
- A parent has an uncontrolled mental illness that poses harm to the child
- There is risk of kidnapping or abduction by one of the parents
- A parent has neglected the child
- A parent has been absent from the child’s life and wants to start a relationship with the child
- There have been any potentially dangerous family situations
In most cases, supervised visitation is a temporary arrangement that can lead to unsupervised visitation if the noncustodial parent meets specific requirements set by the court. For instance, the court may award unsupervised visits to a noncustodial parent after they finish six months of counselling or anger management.
How Does Supervised Visits Work?
If the judge determines that supervised visitation is best for your child, the court will delineate how the visitations will work. Below are some common types of visitations that courts often order:
- Supervised visits in a court designated facility where a monitor is present in the room for the duration of the visits.
- Visits in the custodial parent’s home (or other designated location) supervised by a social worker or a similar person.
- Visits supervised by a friend, relative or an acquaintance to as act the monitor. The court will allow this only in situations where the participant it willing and the parents are able to mutually agree on a person.
Call an Experienced Central Valley Child Custody Attorney
If you are involved in a child custody battle or simply have questions regarding child custody, it is important that you have a knowledgeable attorney fighting for your rights. For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation with a Central Valley child custody attorney, please call Gurjit Srai (209) 323-5558 or complete our online form.