A Scottsdale child custody attorney provides help to parents in understanding custody rules in Arizona. Under Arizona’s custody laws, parents are encouraged to try to create a plan together to share parenting time. Parents can make decisions both on how they can divide up the care of their children and parents can also decide who has legal decision-making authority, or the right to make decisions on behalf of their kids.
In some cases, parents cannot come to an agreement or there are serious problems with the care that one parent provides, such that the other parent must take steps to try to protect the child. In these circumstances, it may be necessary to go to court to argue for sole custody.
It is usually considered to be in the best interests of the child to continue building a relationship with both parents, but if the court believes that giving parenting time to a particular parent could put the child at risk, then that parent could potentially be denied custody or that parent could be given only limited supervised visitation.
Singer Pistiner, P.C. can provide help to parents in understanding when supervised visitation is appropriate and can present arguments to the court both for and against the need for supervised visitation. If you are involved in a custody dispute where there is a possibility one parent could be found to be unfit to parent the child and could be deprived of visitation unless it is supervised, you should work with an attorney who is familiar with this type of complex custody case. Call our firm today to talk with a Scottsdale child custody attorney who can help you.
What is Supervised Visitation?
Supervised visitation is ordered by the court in circumstances where either a child’s mother or a child’s father could present a risk to the child’s health and safety. Instead of the child being allowed to see that parent without any other adults present, the court will mandate that the parent see the child only when another person is present.
Typically, mental health professionals, social workers or others who are trusted to monitor the behavior of the parent will supervise the visitation. Visits will be scheduled at a designated time and the other adult who is supervising the visit will be present for the entire time that the child is alone with the parent who presents a potential risk. The parent will not be allowed to spend time with the child alone.
When is Supervised Visitation Appropriate?
Supervised visitation is typically appropriate when there is cause for concern about the conduct of either a child’s mother or father. For example, if the mother or father has addiction issues and abuses drugs or alcohol, there may be concern that the child could be put at risk if left alone with that parent or if allowed to go to that parent’s home to be cared for. Rather than entirely preventing the addicted parent from seeing the child, the court may order supervised visitation so the parent and child can spend time together in a controlled setting.
If there are allegations of abuse or neglect, this is another example of a situation where the parent who has been accused of wrongdoing is only allowed to see a child on a limited supervised basis. There must be credible proof that the parent presents a threat to the child, however- mere allegations during a divorce are not going to be enough unless the parent claiming there is a problem has enough evidence to convince the court the child could be put in jeopardy.
Getting Help from A Scottsdale Child Custody Lawyer
Singer Pistiner, P.C. can help those who are involved in custody disputes to understand the different options for custody under the laws of Arizona. Our firm knows the ins-and-outs of custody laws and we can guide you through choosing a custody arrangement that makes sense given the specifics of your family situation. We can also help you to understand the circumstances under which the court may order supervised visits only.
If you believe your child could be in jeopardy with the other parent, we can help you to argue for why visits should be supervised. If your ex is accusing you of doing something wrong and trying to limit you visits with your kids to supervised time only, we can also help you to try to fight to disprove the accusations made against you. To find out more about the services that we offer, download our free divorce guide. You can also give us a call at (480) 418-7011 or contact us online to find out more about how our firm can help you.