Divorced parents abide by what is known as a parenting plan. This plan encompasses child custody, child support, visitation, and other common issues relating to children and divorce. The family court system takes pains to protect children during and after a divorce, and that means common issues like child custody remain open and subject to change should the need arise. In some cases, a parent could come under scrutiny for certain bad behaviors that the courts view as not being in a child's best interest. To find out what happens to a parent who is found to have used less than stellar judgment, read on.

Supervision

At some point, the family court might decide to allow a parent exhibiting certain bad behaviors to continue to spend time with a child, but only with a third party present. Take a look at just a few of the issues that might prompt such a move:

• Arrests and incarcerations.
• Proven accusations of child neglect or abuse.
• Alcohol or drug addiction issues.

And more.

What to Know About Supervised Visitation

To better understand this visitation alternative, here are some things to know:

1. Supervised visitation is not for the benefit of the parent but for the child. Children benefit from time spent with both the custodial and non-custodial parent.
2. Supervised visitation may be ordered for the short or long term – it just depends on the behavior of the parent. For example, a parent that seeks treatment for drug use and becomes clean and sober could be granted less-restrictive visitation that eventually returns to unsupervised.
3. The person doing the supervision is not the other parent but it could be another trusted relative. Social workers and others may also do the duty.
4. When supervised visitation is ordered, no overnight visits are ever permitted.
5. The setting for visitation is usually a public place like a restaurant or a park.
6. The parent with supervised visitation is allowed some privacy, but the child and parent must stay in sight of the supervisor at all times.
7. If the behavior worsens rather than improves, it is possible to remove all parental rights from that parent. For example, if the parent should kidnap the child and flee, they could end up losing all parental privileges — permanently. Whether you are the parent losing visitation privileges or the parent trying to protect their child, speak to a divorce attorney to find out more about supervised visitation.