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Emergency

Supervised contact: contact with the child under supervision

Contact with your own child is a right, and above all serves the child's welfare. In certain conflict situations, the family court orders supervised contact: a neutral person (e.g. from the youth welfare office or a provider) is present during the contact to protect the child and enable the contact.

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In principle every child has a right to contact with both parents, and every parent has a right of contact (§ 1684 BGB). In case of conflicts or concerns for the child's welfare, the court can arrange contact as supervised instead of excluding it.
Supervised contact is usually a transitional solution: it is meant to build trust and pave the way to unsupervised contact. If it goes well, the supervision can gradually be dropped.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Insist on contact in principle

    Insist on your right of contact. A complete exclusion is permissible only in rare exceptional cases.

  2. 2

    2. Propose supervised contact

    In case of conflicts, supervised contact can be a workable compromise that secures the contact.

  3. 3

    3. Involve a provider

    The youth welfare office or independent providers organize the supervision. Keep appointments reliably.

  4. 4

    4. Aim for expansion

    If the contact goes well, apply for a relaxation toward unsupervised contact.

How to spot the scam

  • The other parent wants to prevent contact entirely.
  • Appointments for supervised contact are repeatedly canceled.
  • You let yourself be discouraged and give up the contact.

Frequently asked questions

When is supervised contact ordered?

If unsupervised contact could endanger the child's welfare but the court does not want to exclude contact entirely, for example after a long break in contact, in case of conflicts, or concerns for the child. A neutral person is then present during the contact.

How does supervised contact proceed?

A trained supervisor (youth welfare office or provider) is present at the meeting to give the child security. Place, duration, and frequency are set. The goal is to build trust and normalize the contact.

Does it stay supervised contact permanently?

Generally not. Supervised contact is usually a transitional solution. If it goes well, it is gradually relaxed until unsupervised contact is possible.

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General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.