You put in the effort during your divorce and hammered out a parenting plan (child custody arrangements) that worked for you – or the court handed you terms that you made work. If the last year or so has taught us anything, however, it is that even the most solid plans can be derailed, and sometimes, temporary fixes are in order. If you find yourself needing to temporarily tweak your parenting plan, there are some things you should know, and an experienced Copperas Cove family law attorney can help.
Your Relationship with Your Ex
You and your children’s other parent have been doing this for a while, and hopefully, you’ve come to the point that you are able to negotiate those midstream arrangements that every parent faces from time to time. This does not mean that you have to be best friends with your ex – instead, we’re going for the ability to engage in civil and collaborative decision-making. If you have made it to this level, making a temporary verbal change to your parenting plan with your ex may be doable. If your ex, however, is very committed to making co-parenting as difficult as possible, you will very likely need to go a different route.
Making Temporary Changes Verbally
There are any number of reasons that you might need to temporarily tweak your parenting plan, including:
Becoming newly responsible for a big project at work
Caring for a parent after surgery or another health concern
Having your work schedule temporarily modified
Taking on a seasonal part-time job
Undergoing medical treatment of your own
Whatever the reason, if you recognize that you need to shift your parenting plan schedule temporarily, the best plan of action is to discuss the matter with your children’s other parent immediately and attempt to work out a manageable schedule tweak that works for both of you. Ignoring the issue is not going to make it go away – nor will it help. Once you’ve arranged a workaround, it will help lighten your load and allow you to move forward with whatever curveball you’ve been thrown (and parenting is often a series of curveballs).
If the Change Is More Permanent
If the scheduling change you are facing is more permanent in nature, you’ll need to change your approach. While the first step remains discussing the matter with your ex, you should address the change with the court (once you have hashed it out). The fact is that the parenting plan orders that are on the books remain legally enforceable until they are modified, and the best path forward is to make your permanent modification through the court.
Reach out to an Experienced Copperas Cove Family Law Attorney Today
Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Copperas Cove, Texas, is a trusted family law attorney who is committed to helping you address your parenting-time concerns head-on. To learn more, please do not hesitate to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 today.
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