After a period of substantial change, you may find that certain items in your current parenting plan do not work for your family. If this change is temporary, you may not need to pursue a modification; however, you should contact a trusted child custody attorney if you encounter any issues following your parenting plan. Our Lakeland child custody attorney shares when parents should consider making a parenting plan modification.
Substantial Changes in Schedule
While schedule changes can be normal, a substantial change in schedule that would make it difficult or impossible to follow the parenting plan may prompt a modification. Substantial schedule changes may include:
- The child moving schools to one that requires different drop-off and pick-up times,
- The child’s involvement in extracurricular activities that affect drop-off and pick-up times,
- One parent changing their working hours or travel schedule,
- And more situations in which a changed schedule causes one parent to be unable to fulfill their parental responsibilities.
If you have a substantial change in schedule that you wish to modify your parenting plan to reflect, your child custody attorney can help you create a proposed modification and file it with the court.
A Parental Move
Parents can move their residence for new employment or educational opportunities, even if they share custody of the child. However, this move may make it difficult for one party to fulfill the parental responsibilities outlined in the parenting plan, which can require a parenting plan modification.
If this move makes it difficult for the time-sharing schedule to be met, then one parent will need to file for a time-sharing schedule modification to reflect the availability of each parent. If the moving parent also wishes to move the children, they will need to pursue court-approved relocation of the child before the move is made. During the relocation process, any necessary child custody modifications can be made to modify the current parenting plan.
Unaddressed Needs in Your Parenting Plan
You may have unaddressed issues in your parenting plans, such as driving responsibilities, technology payment and coverage, and social media usage. As you may have built your parenting plan before these issues became front of mind, it is understandable they may not be included in your current plan.
As your child grows older, you may want to address these needs by creating a parenting plan modification for inclusion. Your child custody attorney can help you draft these parenting plan additions.
Lakeland Child Custody Attorneys
At Advocate Law Firm, P.A., our child custody attorneys understand that as your child grows up, their needs change. We can help you modify your parenting plan to better address your child’s needs and suit your family.
Do you think it is time to modify your parenting plan? Schedule a consultation today by calling (863) 644-5566 to learn more about how our modification attorneys can help you prepare your parenting plan for a proposed modification.