This is the next post in our series on the handling of child custody cases which involve supervised visitation. Our last article explained why parents should not resort to “self-help” if they believe their child is in danger. Taking matters into your own hands can result in the court looking upon your actions unfavorably. If you are unsure of how to proceed then it is best to speak with a child custody attorney. In this article we will discuss how a parent can go about winning back unsupervised visits. If you are in need of assistance then contact our office today to speak with a lawyer.

Supervised visitation is typically ordered due to specific conduct on behalf of a parent. This conduct can include drug use, alcohol abuse, or demonstrations of violence. In such situations a court will impose supervised visits in order to ensure the child’s well-being. A supervised visitation schedule is often seen as a temporary arrangement to be followed while the offending parent corrects the situation which raised concern in the first place. An example of such a correction would be a parent, with a history of drug abuse, demonstrating that they are clean and have no risk of relapsing. A court will often reinstate unsupervised visits once it is confident that the cause for concern has been corrected.

A court will typically order several things at the time it imposes supervised visitation. In addition to setting up the visits themselves, a judge will typically order the offending parent to take certain steps. An example of this would be an order requiring that someone with a narcotics addiction both attend counseling and take regular drug tests. The court would also likely set a series of “status checks” so that the parties may advise the judge as to how supervised visits are proceeding and to see how well the offending parent is sticking to their various requirements. Under this same example, a parent would often be awarded unsupervised visits after displaying a history of clean drug tests, successfully completing counseling, and otherwise staying out of trouble.

It is important to understand that how the court will rule in any given situation will always be situation-specific. When attempting to determine how to proceed in such matters it is best to speak with a family law attorney. Counsel can help you understand, realistically, how the court will view your case. As a child custody law firm we have handled many matters involving supervised visits. Contact our office today to schedule an initial consultation.