Learn more about how a co-parenting tool can help you.*We GUARANTEE that Kids First! is the best parenting solution or ask for your money back! Co-parents can order their TalkingParents Record at any time and share it with their attorneys or bring it to court. Using a co-parenting communication service like TalkingParents is a great way to stay organized and accountable, even if you have no plans to return to court in the future.
Medical, school, work, or legal records.Evidence of a parent or child’s new schedule.Police or court records regarding enforcement of orders.A detailed journal or report that demonstrates consistent issues with the custody schedule.There are many forms of evidence that you can bring to family court, as discussed in our other blog here.
The evidence you need will be contingent on the reasons upon which you are requesting a custody modification. Once the other parent has been notified and you have set a court date, you will both appear before a judge so that they can determine a plan that is in the best interest of the child. Many courts will require that parents submit specific plans before appearing before going to court. To file this, you will need to determine exactly what you want the new custody agreement to be. To begin changing your custody order with a co-parent who disagrees with the changes, you will need to file a motion with the court. Mediation can be less expensive, and a mediator can help you and your co-parent determine a plan to submit to a judge. If this is the case, mediation or arbitration can also help to guide you towards a solution. If both you and your co-parent agree on a need to modify the custody agreement, you can discuss your goals and start to build a better plan.
This waiting period varies between states, so contact your court to see if you can begin the process or if it is too soon. Some jurisdictions place restrictions on when parents can modify the agreement. One important element to consider is how recent the original custody agreement is. There are valid reasons for child support adjustments that can occur, and parents can take the steps necessary to re-calculate the amount owed. As each family is different, a judge will consider the big picture to determine what is in the child's best interest.Ī custody agreement modification is not the same as changing a child support order, which falls under a different set of circumstances. The ability to change a custody order is dependent on the regulations in the state itself, the judge, and the situation at hand.