How much should I charge for supervised visitation?

There's no standard price for supervised visitation, and there shouldn't be. Rates depend on your region, your experience, what's included and what it really costs you to deliver a visit. The goal is a price that covers your time and risk, that families can see up front, and that fits the court orders you'll be working under.

Start with what a visit really costs you

A two hour visit is rarely two hours of work. Count everything:

Before the visit: intake calls or meetings with each parent, reading the court order, scheduling, reminders.
Travel, if visits happen in a home, park or community space.
The visit itself, including staggered arrival and departure so the parents don't meet.
After the visit: writing notes, finishing a report, answering attorney questions.
Overhead: insurance, training, background checks, software, phone, a visit space if you rent one, payment fees and taxes.

Add those up for a typical month and divide by the visit hours you expect to bill. That's your floor. Price below it and every new family costs you money.

Common pricing models

Most providers combine a few of these:

Hourly visit rate, often with a minimum such as one or two hours.
Intake fee, charged once per family or once per parent, to cover the setup work.
Exchange fee, a flat fee per supervised exchange.
Report fees. Many providers include brief visit notes and charge separately for a full written report, a summary of several visits, or a report prepared for a hearing.
Court time. A separate rate for preparing for and attending court, usually with a minimum.
Travel. Mileage or a travel time charge beyond your core service area.
Virtual visits. A rate for supervising video visits, which save travel but still need full attention.
Cancellation and no show fees, with a clear notice window.

Put every fee in your services agreement and on your listing. Surprise fees are the fastest way to lose a family and an attorney's trust.

Who pays shapes what you can charge

The court order often decides who pays. Many states let judges assign the cost of supervision to a parent who committed domestic or family violence. Arizona, Georgia, Maine, North Carolina and Wisconsin statutes all allow this, and Alabama's lets a court order a supervision fee. Louisiana requires the parent who committed family violence to pay supervision costs in those cases. Other orders split costs between parents.

Some courts consider cost directly. Utah's law says courts must weigh whether the cost of professional supervision would keep a parent from using parent time at all. If your price is out of reach, the court may choose a lay supervisor instead.

Ask for payment at booking or before each visit, from whichever parent the order or agreement makes responsible.

Know the free and low cost options in your area

Free and income based programs set the floor of your local market and serve families who can't pay private rates:

Orange County Superior Court in California offers free professional supervised visits to eligible low income parents through its Access to Visitation grant.
Miami-Dade's Family Court Services unit provides free supervised visits and monitored exchanges when a judge refers the case.
Delaware's state supported Family Visitation Centers charge fees based on family income.
New Mexico's court programs use a sliding fee scale approved by the state supreme court.
Colorado's Access and Visitation grant can cover the full cost for referred parents.

These programs usually have waitlists, limited hours or eligibility rules, which is where private providers come in: flexible scheduling, one family at a time, community settings, faster starts and detailed reports.

Check your local market

Look at other providers' listings and court provider lists in your county.
Ask a few family law attorneys what their clients usually pay and what they value.
Note what's included. A lower hourly rate with paid reports can cost families more than an all inclusive rate.

Pricing tips that help families say yes

Show the total for a typical visit, not just the hourly rate.
Offer a package for families with weekly visits ordered for months.
Be clear about what a report includes and when it's delivered.
Keep the cancellation window reasonable and apply it evenly to both parents.

A simple rate sheet layout

Families and attorneys read rate sheets quickly. A clear one usually lists, in this order:

Intake: what it includes (meeting each parent, reviewing the order, setting rules) and the fee.
Supervised visits: hourly rate, minimum length, and whether notes are included.
Supervised exchanges: flat fee per exchange.
Virtual visits: hourly rate and the platform used.
Reports: what each report type includes, the fee and the turnaround time.
Court: preparation and attendance rate, minimum and notice needed.
Travel: your included service area and the charge beyond it.
Cancellations: the notice window, the fee, and how it applies to each parent.
Payment: when it's due and who pays under a split order.

Common pricing mistakes

Not charging for report time. Reports can take as long as the visit. Price them or build them in.
Hiding the minimum. A two hour minimum should be visible before a family books.
Uneven cancellation rules. Apply the same rule to both parents, or you'll look like you're taking sides.
Discounting to win a case. Low prices attract families, but burnout and unpaid admin time drive providers out of this work. Price to last.
Forgetting payment fees and taxes. Build them into your rate rather than adding surprise charges.

On MyVisitLink

You set your own rates for visits, reports and summaries, and they show on your listing so families know the cost before they book. Families pay online at booking. Founding providers get 3 months free, then a founding price for a year. See the founders offer.

Sources

This article is general business information, not legal or tax advice.