Children grow and change, and existing custody arrangements sometimes no longer reflect their best interests. When that happens, co-parents often need to revisit the existing orders and ask for a modification.
However, courts generally limit how often parents modify custody plans, partly to maintain stability in the children’s lives. Parents generally need to prove to a judge that they are experiencing substantial life changes before a custody arrangement can be altered. Here are a few examples of situations that qualify:
A parent is moving
People frequently move to find better housing or job opportunities. When a co-parent moves, however, that can impact their custody rights (or the rights of the other parent) – particularly if the move is far away. For example, a parenting time schedule that rotates weekly may no longer be feasible.
There are health difficulties
Sometimes one co-parent will develop physical or mental health issues that make it difficult or impossible for them to effectively care for their children. It may be necessary to ask the court for supervised visitation or something similar.
In other cases, the child’s health may be at issue. If a child has a severe, chronic health condition that requires a lot of equipment, for example, it may not make sense (or even be safe) to move all of that equipment back and forth between houses for every visit.
Safety concerns develop
This can cover a broad range of issues, ranging from physical abuse to emotional abuse – or even refer to a parent who has developed a substance abuse problem. It may also refer to situations involving one co-parent’s new spouse or partner, if that person has a history of domestic violence or other problems.
Professional legal guidance can help parents alter their child custody arrangements – or defend against unnecessary and burdensome requests.