It is a simple fact that drug use takes place in our society, and when the user of drugs is a parent with responsibility for a child, it can create a number of ramifications for that parent, and dramatic changes for the child. As any family lawyers will tell you, family law places an emphasis on what is in the best interests of a child, and those interests most certainly do not involve being in the presence of a parent who is taking drugs.
If a court should be given an indication that the parent of a child is using illicit drugs then it will act. The way in which a court is informed of this is usually by someone close to the child filing either a ‘Notice of Child Abuse, Family Violence or Risk of Family Violence’ or a ‘Notice of Risk.
Despite the long names, these are basically documents that someone completes when they believe a child may be at risk. Specifically, they would submit that the child is being exposed to drugs, for example, the parent or parents are taking the drugs in full view of the child.
