Supervised visitation is a court-ordered arrangement that a court might order in which a neutral third-party adult, such as a social worker or child development expert, supervises visits between a child and the non-custodial parent. This usually takes place in a designated location agreed upon by the parties.

Though supervised visitation is nobody’s preferred arrangement for seeing their kids, family courts prioritize the child’s best interest, and in certain situations courts think supervised visitation is the best option to keep a child safe while still maintaining the parental relationship.

For example, supervised visitation is frequently ordered when the non-custodial parent has a mental illness or substance abuse disorder that could impair their judgment and pose a risk to the child’s safety.

A court might also order supervised visitation if the non-custodial parent is deemed unable to provide a safe, secure environment for the child in their home. The court might make the same judgment if the parent has a past history of domestic violence, child abuse or neglect.

Additionally, supervised visitation may be appropriate when the child has gone a long time without contact with the noncustodial parent, either due to estrangement, geographical distance, or other factors. A supervised setting can be seen as a safe, supportive environment to rebuild a child’s connection with the parent. The neutral third party typically has the training to be able to facilitate communication and help rebuild the connection.

If you are going through a separation, divorce or custody proceeding and you’re concerned about your child’s safety in an unsupervised setting with the other parent, you should talk to an attorney about petitioning for a supervised visitation arrangement with that parent. Similarly, Attorney Schutzbank can help you try and fight an ex-spouse’s attempt to limit your contact with your kids to supervised visitation.