How to Modify a Time Sharing Schedule after a Divorce
Divorce is toughest on the children. They are forced to adapt to a new schedule of being shuttled back and forth and usually end up living in two different homes. With all of this change, it’s important for your child’s life to have as much stability as possible. That’s why modifying a time sharing schedule can be complicated. Read up on these schedule modification tips to make sure your schedule goes as smoothly as possible for both you and your kids.
Ask yourself why you must modify your parenting plan
If you need to modify a parenting plan that is regulated by the court it may not be so easy to achieve. Changing this plan can take a long time and can be expensive. These changes are usually not granted unless it is in the best interest of the child. Parenting plans can usually be modified if the primary residence of the child needs to be changed or if there needs to be a significant change in the amount of time the child spends with one parent. Really think about why you need to modify your parenting schedule because the court will not typically change the plan just because it’s in the best interest of the parent.
Is modifying your child custody plan in the best interest of your child?
A family court judge is going to assume that your current parenting plan is what is best for your child. Judges want the final plan to cause the least amount of damage for the child, and will only modify the plan if it is better suited to your child’s life. If the modifications being made to your parenting schedule are being made to make your child’s life easier or happier you have good chances in getting the plan changed.
How to modify your parenting plan
If you would like to legally make a change to your parenting plan you must file a petition for modifying the parenting plan with your family court. Then you will severe the co-parent with a petition notice of a court hearing. The hearing will be given a date and then at the hearing you will present your case. A judge will then make the final decision.