Supervised Visits

After a hearing with a child custody attorney if a judge believes that a child’s mental, physical, or emotional health are at risk of harm by spending time alone with a parent, it may order supervised visitation. While supervised visitation isn’t ideal, it may be the only way for some parents to get unsupervised visitation in the future. For example, if a parent has a history of severe alcohol or drug abuse that could endanger the child, the judge may require that parent to attend and complete treatment before revisiting the possibility of unsupervised visitation. In the context of child custody Supervised visits refer to situations where a non-custodial parent is allowed to spend time with their child, but the visitation is supervised by a third party. The goal of supervised visitation is to ensure that the child’s best interests are protected.

Reasons for Supervised Visits

This arrangement is typically put in place when there are concerns about the safety and well-being of the child during visits with the non-custodial parent.

Several reasons may lead to the court ordering supervised visits, including:

1. Safety Concerns:
   • If there are allegations or evidence of abuse, neglect, or violence, the court may order supervised visitation to ensure the child’s safety.
2. Parental Substance Abuse:
   • If a parent has a history of substance abuse or is currently struggling with addiction, supervised visits may be ordered to prevent any potential harm to the child.
3. Parental Mental Health Issues:
   • Mental health concerns, such as untreated mental illness, may lead to supervised visitation to ensure the child’s well-being.
4. Reunification Process:
   • In cases where there has been a period of separation between the non-custodial parent and the child, supervised visitation may be part of a reunification process, allowing the parent and child to gradually rebuild their relationship.
5. Parental Alienation Concerns:
   • In situations where there are concerns about one parent attempting to alienate the child from the other parent, supervised visitation can provide a neutral environment.
6. Limited Parental Skills:
   • If a parent lacks the necessary parenting skills or experience, supervised visits can be a way to ensure the child’s needs are met in a supervised setting.

The supervision may be conducted by a professional supervisor, a family member, a friend, or an agency specializing in supervised visitation. The court will determine the specific requirements for supervision based on the circumstances of the case.

Supervised visitation is often considered a temporary arrangement, and the court may reassess the situation periodically to determine whether it is appropriate to modify the visitation arrangement. The ultimate goal is to ensure the child’s safety and well-being while allowing for a meaningful relationship between the child and the non-custodial parent under the necessary safeguards.

Montgomery Kelley & Dennett are here to help!

Are you in need of a Child Custody Attorney to handle your existing supervised visitation order and live in Williamsburg, Virginia? At Montgomery, Kelley & Dennett we have decades of combined legal experience and will aggressively pursue your case.