If you and your ex-spouse choose co-parenting, a parenting plan is key to the success of your custody option. This plan will include the visitation schedule, decision-making processes, communication methods, dispute resolution and other aspects that can make work more manageable for both parents. However, a plan may stop working in the future and, in turn, may call for a modification.
Here is when you should request a change in your parenting plan.
Changes in a child’s needs
If your child’s educational or health needs change, you should consider changing the parenting plan. For instance, if they develop a health issue that makes it hard to move around, it may be practical for the parent without primary custody to visit them on a schedule and so on.
Changes in your child’s schedule
If your kid’s schedule changes, making it almost impossible to spend quality time with them, you may need to adjust your plan. For example, if your child visited your home on Wednesday evening, but now they can’t because they joined an extra-curricular activity. In such an instance, it will be best to move the visit to a day when your child is free.
Schedule changes are mostly associated with age. When kids get older or in higher classes at school, they tend to be busier.
Changes in a parent’s schedule
If your or the other parent’s schedule changes, perhaps due to changing jobs, it may also be time to modify the parenting plan. It can be challenging for the parent with a changed schedule to operate with the existing plan. They may not spend quality time with the kid(s) or can keep canceling.
Changes in a parenting plan are necessary for some situations. It will help to get legal guidance to make informed decisions.