What could cause access and visitation to be denied?
Usually the courts feel that it is in the child’s best interests to have frequent and regular visits with both parents. It is rare for a parent to have no access and visitation. The court denies access when: • the child does not want to see the non-custodial parent for good reason (for example, this might happen in a family violence situation or if the child has not seen that parent for a long time) • there is a history of not returning the child to the custodial parent In some cases one parent may be concerned about the child s safety during visits with the other parent. A judge may order ”supervised or restricted access” in this situation. Supervised access can mean that the visit with the child is supervised by another person or that another person is present when the child goes from one parent to the other. This could be: • a professional who works with families • a friend or family member who is willing to supervise visits A judge might also put certain restrictions on access. E
