How to legally stop someone from seeing your child tipsHow to legally stop someone from seeing your child could be answered by learning about the laws and regulations related to visitation and custodial rights.

This complete guide will further help you list the ways in which you could do it and give a legal reasoning behind the process.

What Are the Ways to Legally Stop Someone From Seeing or Visiting Your Child?

Asking for sole custody or court orders, limiting or stopping visitation, or showing that the other party is unfit to see your child are some legal ways to go about this process. A parent can legally stop another parent from seeing the child if they have the required court order.

Unless continuous access will harm your child’s welfare, your partner cannot legally prevent you from seeing your child. If it is not in the child’s welfare, the court will issue the order stating otherwise. There are various ways like getting a restraint order from court or getting a sole custody order, which might legally stop the other partner from seeing your child.

Here are the ways to stop someone from seeing your child:

– Ask for Sole Custody

You must be given sole custody if you want complete authority over the physical and holistic upbringing of your kids and any related legal matters. A sole child custody case gives one parent total control over decisions about a child’s upbringing, whereas joint child custody allows both parents to participate in the decision-making process.

The courts might need to be informed if you intend to deny the other parent any contact with the children, even if the parent with sole custody may make these decisions alone.

For instance, if a parent with sole custody chooses to move with their children, they must still notify the courts because it’s likely the other parent has visiting rights that would be impacted if they moved. Shared custody agreements may have significant repercussions if visitation plans are not adhered to, which may limit your time with your children.

– Ask for Court Orders

Court orders will decide whether to restrict a spouse’s access to a child after considering the youngster’s wellbeing. The court may order a spouse to have no contact with his children at all if there is unequivocal proof of possible harm or risk to the child.

The court also has these other options:

  • How long you can see them for; whether any nightime contact is granted or just the time spent in actual contact.
  • When you can see them — during the week, on weekends, during school holidays, and at special events like festivals.
  • You can interact with them in a contact center, at home, or in supervised or unsupervised contact.
  • The manner of contacts, such as face-to-face or indirect communication via phone, email, or letters.

Although the family law encourages a close bond between parents, the courts may limit or stop a parent’s access or contact with their kid if they feel it is in the child’s best interests. Therefore, if a spouse’s visitation interferes with the best interests and health of the child, the courts may prohibit it.

– Show That the Partner Is Abusive

Other actions can be performed to limit your child’s contact with your ex-spouse’s partner if the latter is violent or abusive. Instead of preventing a parent from seeing his child, this solves the problem. The family court may bring an application for the order of a banned step.

In this case, you would have to persuade the court that keeping your child’s distance from your ex-spouse’s relationship is in their best interests, as well as how having contact with the ex-spouse’s partner could have negative effects on your child.

If you are successful in getting the order of a banned step, your ex-spouse won’t be able to introduce the kids to his partner until the judge orders it. You won’t be able to prevent a father from seeing his children in the event of an abusive or violent new relationship unless the father is violent or abusive and poses a threat to the children’s safety.

– Show That the Child Does Not Want To See the Parent

A kid might not want to communicate with the other parent in certain situations. Contact should be encouraged unless there is a reason for this that would jeopardize their welfare. To learn the rationale behind the refusal to make contact, you could speak directly to your child or the other parent.

In the end, if the court orders contact, it must be followed. In order to prevent the other parent from taking action to execute an existing court order, it is up to you to maintain communication.

– Limit or Stop Visitation

If you have a compelling reason, the court could make an order that restricts or terminates visits. You must demonstrate the harm caused by your ex-spouse’s visits in order to qualify for the court injunction.

You can request child support services, which will probably result in the non-custodial parent’s visitation rights being restricted or terminated. It is not feasible to withhold a kid from one parent without a court order.

– Determine the Reasons for Keeping Your Child Away From the Other Spouse

Although judges want to give both parents some control over their children, they have the option to deny visitation rights to a noncustodial parent if doing so would be in the child’s best interests. A court may deny the noncustodial parent’s visitation rights, for instance, if the custodial parent can show that the noncustodial parent is violent or abusive toward the children.

Denial of Visitation Rights

A judge may also limit or deny a noncustodial parent’s visitation rights for the following reasons:

  • If there is proof that one of the non-custodial parents has abused a kid;
  • If there is proof that a noncustodial parent has previously kidnapped children or is likely to do so again;
  • If there is proof that the parent who does not have custody of the child abuses drugs or alcohol, especially if it happens in front of the child.

Incorrectly taking matters into their own hands, a custodial parent may also refuse a noncustodial parent’s visiting rights without a court’s permission. If the custodial parent cannot give a good rationale for the situation, it may have major legal ramifications for them.

As a result, it is crucial that both parents consult the court when they need to modify an existing child visitation order rather than doing so on their own.

Considerations To Be Made for The Visit

The sole factor the court will take into account is the well-being of your child or children. This is determined by a number of factors, such as:

  • The youngster in question’s desires and emotions (considered in light of their age and understanding)
  • Physical, emotional, and academic requirements
  • Age, sex, background, and any other factors the judge deems relevant
  • The harm the child has suffered or is in an opportunity to suffer
  • The capability of the parents to satisfy the child’s needs
  • The potential impact of a change in circumstances on them

There are various reasons why someone would deny the other parent visitation access. To ensure that these arguments are valid, it is ideal if they are identified before making any decisions regarding this matter.

Consult your lawyer if you need assistance deciding whether it would be appropriate to withhold a kid from another parent or if you need legal guidance on how to stop your child from being withheld.

– Make Sure Your Reasons Are Valid

The following justifications may not be sufficient to restrict a spouse’s ability to see his or her child:

  • A parent declines to make child support payments
  • Sometimes a parent is tardy picking up or dropping off the kids
  • Despite a contract or court ruling stating that a parent will have regular contact with the children, this parent does not
  • A wish to punish you for previous transgressions
  • The fact that you’ve missed or been tardy for scheduled visitation, or
  • A conviction that you aren’t a good parent or are actively excluding your child from your ex

None of them qualify as justifications for arbitrarily denying visitation. The answer is not to restrict your access to the child, even if the custodial parent feels that you aren’t providing for the child during your parenting time or attempting to sever their parent-child bond.

Instead, the custodial parent must request a modification of custody and present proof that the child will suffer harm from spending time with you.

Legal custody of a child is not a real “right.” There are various legal rights and obligations that come with parental responsibility (PR), but there is no innate right to “contact.” Since family law is solely focused on the welfare of the child, decisions to allow you to have contact are decided on the grounds that doing so will enhance the child’s quality of life rather than your own.

How To Modify the Child Custody or Visitation Order

To modify child visitation orders, the party may submit a petition alleging a violation of a court order if it grants them specific custody or visitation rights and the other party disobeys it. The judge may modify the order and impose appropriate punishment once the court holds a hearing.

You can create your petition asking the Family Court to take action against the other spouse who disobeys the custody/visitation order using the free and simple DIY Form application.

You may have legal choices if you want to change your child’s visitation schedule by fully barring them from seeing the other parent. To discuss your case, the reason you want to pursue this, and what you should be able to do legally, speak with a family law attorney.

FAQ

– Can You Quit Child Support Payments if You Are Unable To See Your Child?

No; a noncustodial parent may not lawfully quit paying child support payments because the custodial parent has denied visitation. When you are unable able to see your kid, it probably seems unjust to keep paying child support, but keep in mind that the assistance is for the child and not the other parent.

If you stop making payments, the arrears (also known as “support obligations”) will accumulate, and the other parent or the state will likely initiate enforcement action against you.

Conclusion

Although it is usually preferable for kids to get along with both of their parents, there are some circumstances in which it may be in your children’s best interests to keep your ex out of their life. Thus, you need to have solid justification and supporting documentation if you want to restrict your kids’ contact with the other parent. There must be evidence that the other parent is anyway incompetent to parent because it is uncommon to give one parent exclusive control over their children.How to legally stop someone from seeing your child all you need to know

  • The best legal way to keep your child away from the other parent is to get a court order restraining the other parent.
  • Parents should gather evidence like if the other party is involved in illegal substances or any abusive behavior to show that the other parent is unfit to see the child.
  • The parent also has the option to go to court and request a ruling limiting or barring the other parent’s visits to the kids.
  • You have to pay for child support even if you cannot see the child as this child support is for the child’s benefit.
  • Consult your lawyer if you need assistance deciding whether it would be appropriate to withhold a kid from another parent or if you need legal guidance on how to stop your child from being withheld.

We hope you are legally informed regarding the ways to stop the other parent from seeing the child, and although it is possible, you must give constructive proof and valid reasons to justify your restraint.

5/5 - (11 votes)
Divorce & Finance
Latest posts by Divorce & Finance (see all)