Rule 11.070.Temporary Suspension of Visitation Rights When Termination Petition Filed
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 11.070
Plain-English Summary
Filing a petition to terminate parental rights does not, by itself, end contact. For children who are wards of the court, this rule sets the default in the other direction: parental visitation rights are not suspended while a termination petition is pending.
That default gives way only to an order of the court, and only on good cause shown. The burden falls on whoever wants contact stopped, and the decision goes to a judge rather than resting with an agency, a caseworker, or the drift of a busy docket.
The suspension the rule contemplates is temporary and tied to the pendency of the petition. Nothing here decides the termination question itself. The rule governs the interim, which can run long, and it treats continued contact as the starting point for that stretch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does filing a termination petition stop visits with my child?
Not on its own. Visitation rights for a child who is a ward of the court continue while the termination petition is pending unless the court orders otherwise.
Can visitation be suspended while a termination case is pending?
Yes, but only by court order and only on good cause shown. Without that order, the rule keeps visitation in place.
Which children does this rule cover?
Children who are wards of the court. The rule speaks to parental visitation rights with respect to those children while a petition to terminate parental rights is pending.
What counts as good cause to suspend visitation?
The rule does not define it. It requires the showing and leaves the content to the court on the facts in front of it. What the rule fixes is that some showing has to be made, to a judge, before contact stops.
Does this rule affect whether parental rights are terminated?
No. It governs only the period while the petition is pending. The termination decision itself is made under other law, and a suspension entered during the case does not answer it.