As the new year is only two months away, it’s a good time to reassess and possibly modify your family’s parenting plan. Whether you parallel or co-parent with your ex, you are undoubtedly aware that family dynamics and children’s needs can change over time. As a result, it’s important to review your parenting plan somewhat regularly, in order to better ensure that it still works for everyone involved.
There are several reasons why you might consider modifying your parenting plan as the new year approaches. For example, changes in your child’s schedule might make your current schedule unmanageable. As children grow, their needs change, including their school schedules, extracurricular activities and social lives. A parenting plan that may have worked well when your child was younger may no longer be as effective, thus causing strain for everyone.
Alternatively (or additionally), changes in a parent’s work schedule or living situation (yours, your child’s other parent’s or both) may make it difficult to adhere to your current plan. If one parent’s job requires more travel or if either parent moves to a different location, the logistics of pick-ups, drop-offs and parenting time schedules may need to be adjusted, for example.
Now what?
When considering modifications to your parenting plan, it’s important to focus on the best interests of your child. While you certainly do that anyway, if your child’s other parent doesn’t agree to the need for a modification, you may need to explain to the court why your modification proposal specifically reflects your child’s best interests.
Ultimately, if both you and your child’s other parent agree to the changes, modifying a parenting plan can be a fairly straightforward process. However, if there is disagreement, it may be necessary to seek a court order to modify the plan. The court will evaluate the proposed changes and consider whether they serve the best interests of your child.