Parents can decide who keeps their children and each parent’s responsibilities with a child custody arrangement. A child custody arrangement is often not made to last forever. Certain situations and events can happen that can cause parents to consider negotiating a revised custody arrangement.
A family law judge may not readily agree to an alteration of a new child custody arrangement. Parents may need to present a reason for the change. Here are a few common examples:
The distance between parents has widened
A parent may be considering moving because of better housing affordability or job changes. Because of where a parent needs to move, it may create a wide distance between the other parent. As a result, it may put pressure on both parents and affect a child’s well-being. Parents could alter a custody arrangement to give both parents more time with their children and reduce the amount of trips in between.
A parent developed a medical condition
A parent could develop a medical condition that makes them unable to provide for their child’s needs. This medical condition could make it harder for a parent to find employment or cause them to stay bedridden. As a result, the other parent may need to gain more custody rights as the ill parent recovers.
A parent’s school schedule has changed
If a parent goes to school, they may not have control over when their classes are scheduled. As a result, a parent may need to relinquish some custody times so they can attend their classes. This is a change that could happen with each new semester.
Parents can seek legal guidance to discuss their child custody options.