Supervised Visitation

• If a judge orders supervised visitation, the other parent or a relative of the non-custodial parent is appointed as the supervisor, and visitation can only take place with the supervisor present. Because parents in New Jersey have a constitutional right to visitation with their children, courts are reluctant to terminate that right and do so only if the parent is a drug or sex offender or if the child could be hurt.
  
  

Schedules

• A variety of visitation schedules can be arranged to suit the parents' lives and work schedules as well as the lives of the child or children. If the children live with the mother, for example, the father might have visitation every other weekend and on Wednesday night. Weekend visitation typically begins at 6 p.m. on Friday and ends Sunday at 6 p.m. The Wednesday night visitation might run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
  
  

Changing Schedules

• When children are young, the court can compel them to visit their parent, even if that visitation involves long-distance travel. However, as children grow older, their time becomes occupied with their own friends and activities, and they may not want to spend time with the non-custodial parent. By age 16, the child can make decisions regarding visitation, and the visitation schedule may have to be altered in court.
  
  

Pick Up Problems

• Picking up and dropping off the children can be a stressful situation for all parties. If the exchanges become too volatile, the court can order that the meetings take place in a supervised location, such as the local police headquarters.
  
  

Noncompliance

• Failure to comply with a court-ordered visitation schedule can result in fines for the non-complying party. Child support and visitation are separate issues. A father cannot be denied visitation even if he owes back child support, and a mother who uses back support as an excuse for denying visitation will be subject to fines and even risks losing custody. The parent who is denied court-ordered visitation should apply to the court for a remedy. The judge can order that lost visitation time be made up and also order counseling for the non-complying parent.