This is the first post in a series which will address the subject of supervised child visitation in Melbourne and other Florida areas. I have previously discussed supervised child visitation as a general matter. This series will be expanding upon that discussion by explaining how the Court may deal with the subject of supervision in specific situations. The goal of my coming articles is to provide information which will help people to better understand their situation. It is also my goal to provide information which will assist with the selection of a family law attorney. If you or a loved one are in need of assistance then contact my office today to speak with a lawyer.
I will address multiple topics over my coming posts. Issues which I will be analyzing include:
- Supervised custody cases involving parental drug use
- Requiring supervised visitation due to a parent’s criminal activity
- Requiring that visitation be supervised due to the other parent’s new significant other
There are multiple reasons why I am choosing to address these issues. First, one of the most frequent reasons for which Florida courts will order supervised visitation is the drug use by a parent. This is true when the situation involves illegal substances such as heroin, methamphetamine, etc. The Court will also impose supervised visitation if the situation involves abuse of prescribed substances such painkillers or marijuana. Second, a parent’s legal problems can very well lead to supervised visitation if they impact the best interests of the child. Finally, it is common for parents to believe that their ex’s new boyfriend or girlfriend is “bad” and that visitation should be supervised. Courts will only impose such supervision, however, if it is shown that the new person somehow poses a risk to the child.
One point I will be stressing in each of these articles is the fact that you should contact a family law attorney as soon as possible if you believe your child is at some form of risk. The longer you allow the situation to go on then the more likely the Court will be to consider it the “status quo.” This can result in the Judge being reluctant to make a change. I am a Melbourne child custody lawyer who devotes her practice to family law. My office prides itself on providing quality service and we look forward to being of assistance. I also service clients in the Brevard County cities of Titusville, Cocoa, Palm Bay, Grant, Valkaria, and Rockledge, as well as in the Indian River County areas of Fellsmere, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Indian River Shores, and Orchid.