One issue that the family court in Washington state has to address is child custody. Custody cases often arise out of divorce, but they can also occur for other reasons, such as a parent establishing paternity.
Generally, one parent is awarded physical custody and the other parent is awarded visitation rights. Often, both parents will have legal custody, which means they both get to decide on factors such as healthcare for the child etc.
However, it is not always in the best interests of the child to have unsupervised visits with a parent. When might the court order supervised visitation?
When there are safety concerns
Custody rulings are all based on the best interests of the child. There are several factors that the court will consider, with safety taking priority. If there is any credible evidence of a history of physical or emotional abuse from a parent, they may only be granted supervised visitation.
There are health-related issues
In some cases, a parent or child may simply not be up to unsupervised visits due to health conditions. These could be physical or mental. Supervised visitation allows parent and child to maintain a bond while having the opportunity for someone else to take over should it become too much.
There is estrangement
Forming a relationship after being estranged from a family member can take time. It is usually not in the best interests of the child to be placed straight into unsupervised visits with a relative stranger. Instead, supervised visits can allow all parties to gradually build a bond and feel secure.
Supervised visitation is typically a temporary measure until it has been established that the child is secure. Seek legal guidance to find out more about your parental rights.
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