Once the divorce proceedings are over and a parental plan is in place, there may be reasons that you want and need to modify a parenting plan. This situation is very common, as change is a part of life. Below are five reasons why modification of a parental plan makes sense.
Change in Work Schedule
A long-term change in your work schedule can make your original visitation or co-parenting plan’s schedule unworkable. That’s when you need to officially change your schedule so time conflicts are kept to a minimum while making the program work for everyone.
Preferences Of The Child
As children get older, they begin to assert their preferences regarding which parent with whom they would like to spend the most time. It is a usual developmental stage in adolescence for a child to want to spend more time with the parent of the same sex. In a shared custody or co-parenting arrangement, this can be accommodated by modifying the parental plan to change the visitation schedule.
Financial Changes
If you’re unable to meet your commitment to the child support agreement due to a reduction in your wages or unemployment, modification of your support agreement may be warranted. Being upfront about your reduced ability to pay through modification proceedings can help to keep you compliant as your financial situation is in transition.
Change of Residence
A modification to the plan may need to be made if one of the parent’s residences changes. A different housing location may make the current visitation schedule no longer workable, or it may change the days that it is convenient to visit.
Increased Needs of the Child
If a child experiences increased financial or care needs due to a medical condition, injury, or recently diagnosed learning disability, for example, it could be grounds for modification of the parental plan. A modification is an opportunity to address all of the child’s needs whether it is for increased care, therapies, or respite for a primary caregiver.
The Tennessee Parenting Plan was passed in 2001 to make sure that the needs of children stay a top priority in divorce proceedings. The ability to modify a current plan is just one of the benefits to parents and their children.