Even in the best of times, raising kids is never a walk in the park. Things become even more challenging when you are trying to co-parent with your ex following a separation or divorce. Creating an effective parenting plan is, without a doubt, the path to ensuring that your child receives the love and care they deserve from both parents.
As you can imagine, however, not all parenting plans deliver the results hoped for. Here are two questions that can help you determine if your parenting plan is no longer working.
Is the child receiving adequate care?
The whole point of having a parenting plan is addressing the best interests of the child following the divorce. If you believe the plan in place is no longer meeting this goal, then you need to review and modify it.
An example of this would be a change in the work schedule that makes it difficult for visitation to be realistic per the terms of the original plan. For the court to approve a modification request, however, you must demonstrate that the change in schedule in question is substantial and that you are not able to spend time with the child or make them available to the other parent.
Is your ex undermining the plan?
You may have worked out a parenting plan on your own. However, it is still binding as long as the court adopts and incorporates it in the final custody order. Thus, both parties are expected to honor its terms.
If your ex is undermining a parenting plan, then it clearly isn’t working. However, you cannot take matters into your own hands. You must seek the court’s intervention for the possibility of a modification.
A properly drafted parenting plan ought to solve more problems than it creates. If, however, the existing plan is no longer working, then you need to take appropriate steps to address your concerns and ensure that your child’s parental needs are met.
