As divorcing parents, you need to decide on custody issues. Parents can often agree on custody schedules without intervention from the family court.
Nonetheless, if this is not feasible, then the court will step in and come to a decision based on the best interests of the child. Something they may call for is supervised visitation. What is supervised visitation and when might it be necessary?
Reasons for supervised visits
Typically, the court prefers both parents to be actively involved in raising their child, providing it is in the child’s best interests. Sometimes, there may be concerns over safety. For instance, there may have been credible accusations of domestic violence lodged against a parent. The court may still allow visits in these circumstances, but only on a supervised basis.
Supervised visits can also be useful when the parent and child have been estranged. The parent may have only just found out that they have a child and intend to build a bond with them on a gradual basis. Supervised visitation can provide the perfect platform for this.
A controlled environment for parent and child
Occasionally, supervised visitation can take place in a home, but they often occur in designated visitation centers. In any case, the idea is that a responsible adult can step in should the visit become overwhelming for the parent or child. These visits need to take place in an environment where the child’s safety and best interests are always prioritized.
Protecting your custodial rights and the welfare of your children is paramount. In any custody case, it will benefit you to have legal guidance behind you.