Custody

If you’re worried about leaving your child alone with the abuser, you might think about asking the judge (chancellor) to order supervised visits. However, there’s a lot to consider when deciding if this is the right choice for you.

Usually, supervised visits are only ordered for a short time, but this may be different depending on where you live and who your chancellor is. The chancellor might order a professional to watch the visits, or they might have a relative or other person known to either parent agree to be around during the visits to “keep an eye” on things. If the supervisor tells the chancellor that the visits are going well, the visits might become unsupervised. By the end of the case, the other parent may be allowed to visit more often and for longer than they did before you went into court. They might even get some form of custody.

If you’re already in court because the abusive parent asked for visitation or custody, it may make sense to ask for supervised visits if you have a good reason. It depends on your situation.

However, if there’s no court case already going on, it’s a good idea to talk to a lawyer before you start a case to ask for supervised visits. Based on what’s happening in your case, a local lawyer can explain:

• what you need to prove to get supervised visits; and
• how long supervision might last.

If your child is in immediate danger from the abuser, you may need to start a case to ask for custody and supervised visits to protect them. To find out what’s best for your situation, you can look for legal advice using our Mississippi Finding a Lawyer page.