What Is Supervised Visitation?
Personal Injury Attorney
It is important to remember that the court will always choose what it believes to be in the best interest of your child. Whether a parent is abusive, constantly late for scheduled pickups, or has a drug or alcohol problem, the court will take that information and make a decision based on the negatives that those characteristics bring to the table. The court may eventually decide, or decide right away, that a particular parent is a potential threat to their child’s wellbeing and put restrictions on their visitation rights.
Often, that restriction is to only allow supervised visitation. Whether you have had restrictions put on your visitation, you believe that the non-custodial parent should only be allowed supervised visitation, or you simply want to learn more about visitation orders in general, contact a lawyer today to meet with a child custody attorney to get answers to your questions, as well as for immediate and experienced assistance.
Reasons for a Supervised Visit
The court may order all visitations for a parent to be supervised by a third-party person for various reasons. There may be a threat to the child or there may be a need to slowly establish a long-lost relationship before normal visitation can occur. The court will also determine the length and location of these supervised visits, according to California law. There are many reasons why the court may deem supervision a necessity, including:
- Threat of abduction
- Threat of physical or emotional abuse
- History of child abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or spousal abuse
- To help reintroduce a parent and child following a long absence or if there is no preexisting relationship between the two
- To let the parent address specific issues
- Concerns of a parent’s mental illness
Signs in Your Child that Visitation or Custody Is Going Poorly
There are varying levels of poor parenting that the court will analyze when making a custody or visitation decision. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect are some of the most serious offenses a parent can be charged with. According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of child abuse (not including physical signs such as cuts, bruises, or other physical injuries) include:
- Being withdrawn
- Behavioral changes
- School absences
- Rebellion
- Attempts to run away
- Depression or anxiety
- Attempted suicide
Child abuse itself does not have to occur for the child’s wellbeing to be compromised and for negative signs to pop up. Other signs that normal visitation or custody rights for a particular parent are not in the child’s best interest include bed wetting, poor school performance or attendance, strange behavior, and other similar symptoms to child abuse and neglect.
Contact a Family Lawyer Today
If you have concerns about the safety your children when they are in the care of your ex, contact a lawyer today to find out what steps need to be taken to request the court implement supervised visitation. Call a law office today to meet with a compassionate family lawyer in Bloomington, IL and find out how they can help.
Thanks to Pioletti & Pioletti for their insight into family law and supervised visitation.