Parenting plans are legal agreements and court orders that define how two people, who are no longer in a loving relationship, will jointly raise their children.

Parenting plans are created to maintain order in what would otherwise be chaos and are designed to create a schedule and routine for the children.

But sometimes things change.

What was once best for you and your child may not be what’s best now.

It is common that parenting time needs change simply because the child has grown out of the previous plan or other life changes occur that warrant a need for a change to the existing parenting plan.

Common examples of life events that result in a change to a parenting plan include, but are not limited to:

• A parent is moving for a new job
• A parent remarries
• A parent has had a significant change to their work schedule
• A child is switching schools
• A parent is constantly violating the existing Court order
• Instability or disability of one parent
• Improvement in the noncustodial parent’s situation
• Abuse, neglect or other issues that put the child at risk

Modifications to parenting time can be either minor or major.

Minor modifications will be a change in the regular, summer or holiday schedule parenting time schedule.

Major modifications can include a change of which parent a child is primarily residing with, a change in the child’s school or even a request for the other parent to only have supervised parenting time.

As a result of life’s many changes, parents inevitably find themselves filing with the Court to obtain a modification to the current parenting plan.

Follow us this month in our four (4) part blog series as we discuss when a parent can request a change to an existing parenting time order, how to modify a parenting plan, the importance of significant change of circumstance and what to do in an emergency situation.

Look on our website each Friday of this month for a new blog in this series.

If you find yourself, a friend or a loved one wanting or needing to file for a parenting time modification and you would like to work with one of our experienced Attorneys, please call OWENS & PERKINS at (480) 630-2464 to schedule your free 30-minute consultation.