In Colorado, if a parent believes the other parent is endangering their child during parenting time they can bring a case to court asking for restriction of parenting time. (Colorado courts generally use the words “parenting time” instead of “visitation.”)
Have you had a court tell you that you can only see your children if you are supervised? Are you wondering how the court can do that? Do you know what the court means by supervised visitation or supervised parenting time?
Once the other parent files the motion, your parenting can be immediately restricted in which case, you can’t see your children unless you are supervised by someone approved by the court. The good news is that the court will schedule a hearing to review the issue within two weeks from the date the motion is filed. The bad news is that you will likely not be able to arrange an approved supervisor before the hearing, therefore, it is likely that you won’t see your kids until after the hearing.
How can the Court force your parenting time to be supervised?
The court can force supervision if they believe that spending unsupervised time with you will place your kids in physical or emotional danger.
What does physical or emotional danger mean?
The court has a lot of leeway when it comes to deciding what is dangerous. courts do not like to restrict parenting time, so they will usually look for serious issues before ordering supervised visitation.
Examples of things that might cause a court to require supervised visitation are:
- An untreated serious mental health issue
- Untreated substance abuse problem
- A recent history of serious violence
- A history of violence towards kids
- Abuse or neglect finding from the County.
What does the Court mean by supervised parenting time?
The court will probably tell you what type of supervision is expected. There are several companies in Colorado that provide a place to take your child for supervised parenting time. These companies are not cheap, but if you want to see your kids unsupervised in the future, you will need to take advantage of all the parenting time the court gives you.
You can also find professionals who work as parenting supervisors. In some cases, the court will even allow visits to be supervised by a trusted family member.
How to get started
If you have been ordered to have supervision for parenting time, you should consider working with an attorney who can protect your rights and help you move back to unsupervised parenting time. At Jones Law Firm, P.C., we understand how to succeed in this type of case, and we can help you make decisions that protect your interests. Call us today to discuss your rights and options.
