You might have been divorced for days, months, or years, and your child custody arrangements agreed upon. Then, though, something might happen that makes your current arrangement unworkable for you and your child. Maybe the other parent has decided to change jobs, start dating again, or even plan to marry someone else. There could be a move on the horizon for you or for the other parent. Life happens, and sometimes even the most well-intentioned original plans may not be working best for your family any longer.

Maybe, too, the other parent may be refusing to follow the original plan, resulting in anger and frustration for you and confusion for your child. Custody modifications and enforcements are sometimes needed over the years. Feel free to reach out to me for a personal consultation. We will find a time and place that will work best for you, and you won’t be disappointed.

When should a Custody Agreement be Changed?

If the changes you hope for are minor, you might be able to work them out directly with the other parent — something like who picks up your kids from school on which days or takes them to which practices. Even if both of you agree upon a change, though, changes should always be filed with the court, especially larger ones.

If only you think that something should be changed in order to be better for your child, then you’ll want an experienced lawyer on your side to petition the court on behalf of you and your child. The sorts of major life changes that could affect and change a custody agreement include:

• An out-of-state move by one parent
• One parent having a significant change in work schedule
• Remarriage of one parent
• A serious change in health condition or accident involving either a parent or the child
• Any abuse or neglect concerns

In some cases, the original plan is still fine, but it isn’t being followed by the other parent. If that is the case, you would most likely need an enforcement action, not a change to the agreement. This is also necessary to do through the courts — you can’t fight an uncooperative other parent on your own.

When the health, safety, and happiness of your child is involved, you want an experienced lawyer who will be on your side and fight for you. Please call me at 573-303-3015 or email me for an individual, private consultation with no obligation or pressure. Even if you choose another lawyer, I am certain you will gain knowledge from our conversation and be able to determine the best path to move forward.