Supervised visits for fathers is a way for fathers to spend quality time with their children to ensure their safety by another party. Visitation rights are granted to a parent, in this case, the father who does not have custody over their child. Additionally, it is the right of the child to have access to both parents including the father.
Previously, the law favoured mothers who were often granted favourable custody arrangements and child contact. This is no longer the case as the gender of the parent does not dictate the visitation rights or contact for the noncustodial parent.
Parents who want to limit or request supervised visits for fathers usually have to go back to court and ask the judge for an order. If the children are exposed to abuse or danger, a judge will carefully evaluate a decision to prevent children from seeing one of the non-custodial parents.
If possible, the judge may also opt for something less extreme such as supervised visits for fathers. An example of this can be allowing fathers who are in jail to have some contact with their children, as long as the judge believes this is in the best interests of the child.
Want to know more about supervised visits for fathers and how they work? Read on.
Who Handles Supervised Visits For Fathers?
Alternatively, parents can hire an independent person from a supervised visitation centre who could supervise the visit outside of the visitation centre. This may create a more relaxed or natural visit, as it could be in any place like the non-custodial parent’s home, cafes, shopping centres, or parks.
In certain situations, judges prefer to limit or at least define the type of contact for supervised visits for fathers. Here are some options for child contact:
- Supervised Contact
If both parents agree, a close family member could also handle supervised visits for fathers. This family member could be a relative or a mutual friend of the family. This can be more cost-efficient for parents who struggle to pay the rates of supervised visitation centres.
The supervisor must be present at all times when the children are with the non-custodial parent as their safety is at risk when left alone with the non-custodial parent. Apart from ordering supervised visits for fathers, they may also be ordered to prevent further harm to the children like exposure to illicit substances and domestic violence while allowing parents access to their children in a safe setting.
The schedules depend on whether it happens through contact services, which may be more restricted, or with a person the court has approved of. When the supervised parent is behaving in a way that makes the children uncomfortable, the supervisor can ask the parent to change their behaviour, or end the supervised time.
Reporting to court is one of the responsibilities of a supervisor as they need to give timely updates on the supervised time and the whereabouts. Supervisors should also keep track of when the supervision happened, how long it went on for, and how the child responded to the supervised time.
In the case of Grainor and Grainor and Anor (2009), the paternal grandmother was given sole parental responsibility over the children. Visitation arrangements were made upon agreement between the paternal grandmother, the mother and the father.
The father was required to produce drug test results. If the results were not satisfactory, the father was allowed to visit the children only under supervision. Additionally, the father was required to handle all costs related to supervised visits such as payment to visitation centres, and payment for his own travel.
- Contact From A Distance
Judges can also decide that supervised visits for fathers should not be face-to-face. When the non-custodial parent is at a high risk of making unruly decisions in supervised visits, they can be subjected to having contact with their children by:
- Having the supervised parent contact via telephone;
- Having the supervised parent contact through letters; or
- Having the supervised parent contact through online video conference applications.
- Creative Solutions
A judge can also opt for solutions that can ensure the child’s safety during visits with the non-custodial parent who has exhibited potentially harmful behaviour. Here are some orders that judges have made in the past:
- Orders that the non-custodial parent does not smoke in front of their children
- Orders that the non-custodial parent does not play video games in front of their children
- Require installation of a device that stops a car from starting if the parent’s breath sample is over the legal alcohol limit
- Require a parent to follow basic instructions on the use of child car seats
Advice For Untrained Supervisors
When one is handling supervised visits for fathers, one must ask themselves if they are truly prepared for the role. A supervisor should only agree to this if they support the cause and if they’re also comfortable with the child spending time with the parent.
If one is not ready to handle supervised visits for fathers, it is best not to supervise at all as this may harm the relationship between both parents and the child. Setting limits on what the parent can and cannot do in the best interest of the child is worth noting.
If a supposed supervisor is afraid of the parent, or can’t stand up to them when the need arises, then one should not agree to supervise at all. After all, the court is relying on the supervisor to make the child’s contact safe at all times.
There are a number of things the supervisor should consider to ensure that they are ready for the job like:
- Being aware of the medical conditions of the child and non-custodial parent
- Having backup emergency numbers for quick use
- Having ample knowledge of public transportation and schedules of public places
- Research on the child and parent’s bonding activities
A supervisor should keep in mind that the parent should take care of the child and that the supervisor’s role is to give backup ideas and supervise the contact between the parent and child.
Seeking Legal Advice For Supervised Visits For Fathers
One does not truly know how supervised visits for fathers will go, therefore one should also be prepared as the child’s safety is at risk. When the child is under stress with supervised contact, and if it is not in the child’s best interests, it is best to seek legal advice from our lawyers at JB Solicitors.
Our family law lawyers aid our clients in their custodial arrangements and guide them in dealing with supervised visits for fathers. Our fixed-fee prices also save our clients from financial worries and help them in focusing on the best setup for their children.
Contact JB Solicitors today
