Family Law: Supervised Visitation in Washington

If there has been inappropriate conduct on the part of a parent, the court can suspend visitation if it is serious enough and any contact would be harmful to the child.

The court however will want to make the restrictions as little intrusive as possible while still providing adequate protections for the child. This could be as simple as a restraining order (the parent shall not …). If the court does not trust the parent to abide by a restraining order or the current harm is too great, the next step up may be to require supervised visitation.

Supervised visitation simply means that the visitation between the parent and child is supervised by a third party. That could be a simple as the other parent. It could be another trusted family member (of either the mother or the father). It could be a neutral third party or friend. It could be a professional supervisor. If the allegations and risk are great, the court may order a professional supervisor, however there is always a cost involved that needs to be addressed.

If there are serious issues going on, you should consult with an attorney to discuss whether supervised visitation is appropriate. Please contact our experienced family law attorneys to discuss your case.