After a divorce or separation, parents typically have freedom to spend time with their child as they want during their scheduled parenting time. However, if there are legitimate concerns regarding the child’s safety and well-being, the court may order supervised visitation.
In Illinois, the child best interests are paramount when a court makes a custody determination. If one parent is able to provide evidence that the other parent poses a serious endangerment to a child emotionally, mentally or physically, the court may order supervised visits where the parent in question will have a chaperone present when interacting with their child temporarily (until certain benchmarks or goals are reached) or indefinitely.
Supervised visits may be ordered if there is evidence of:
- Certain criminal activity
- A history of abuse toward the child
- Severe mental illness
- Intimate relationship with someone who could harm the child
- A risk of child abduction
Agreeing to Supervised Visits Without Evidence
Although there are situations that clearly warrant supervised visits for the protection of a child, a parent should not simply agree to supervised visitation without the other parent providing proof that the parent presents a serious endangerment to the child. Parents should not enter into a supervisory order unless they have no choice in the matter. Once a parent has supervised parenting time, it may be a long time before they can get a regular parenting time order despite promises to the contrary. It is advisable to work with an experienced custody lawyer if supervised visits are being proposed.
How to End Supervised Visits with a Child
When a court orders supervised parenting time, a parent must be compliant with the court order. It is important to show up for visits promptly and keep visits within the prescribed amount of time. A parent should strive to keep the visits upbeat, avoiding behaviors that led to the supervised visits in the first place. Parents should expect that the court will get reports on how visits went to make future determinations, so it is important for parents to put their best foot forward if they wish to eventually gain unsupervised visitation with their child.
Contact an Experienced Child Custody Lawyer for Help
When you have questions regarding the custody of your child in Illinois, and would like more information regarding supervised visitation, contact the family law offices of Ronald L Bell & Associates for immediate assistance at 847-495-6000.