Arizona Supervised Visits

Arizona Supervised Visits

Wikipedia defines supervised visitation as allowing:

“…parents in high conflict or high risk situations access to their children in a safe and supervised environment. The noncustodial parent has access to the child only when supervised by another adult. Supervised visitation is used to protect children from potentially dangerous situations while allowing parental access and providing support for the parent child relationship.”

Arizona and Federal courts recognize parenting time as a “fundamental” right.

This issue has gone all the way to the Supreme Court, where the court recognized that “…the interests of parents in the care, custody and control of their children–is perhaps the oldest fundamental liberty interests recognized by this court.”

Note that the right to parenting time is not specified for anyone other than parents. Although anyone can petition the Court for visitation, the Court needs to find such visitation by non-parents to be in the best interests of the child before approving it.

A court may order supervised visits so that the children will have a safe environment where they can have some type of relationship-building visit with a parent whose past conduct has been in conflict with the best interests of the child.  In Arizona, the individual supervising the visit is normally a third party appointed by the Court or an agreed upon third party.

The court has the authority to order supervised parenting time under A.R.S. §25-410.

Although parents have rights to parenting time in Arizona, that right can be denied, suspended, or permanently terminated, although termination of parental rights is only done in extreme cases.

If you need help with supervised parenting time in a parental rights case, or other child custody issues call the experience family lawyers at Enholm Law at (602) 889-6273.