You and your spouse have gotten the divorce out of the way with relatively few disagreements. As parents, you shared the same priority in terms of putting the children first. By keeping this in mind, you were able to negotiate a suitable custody agreement and the family court was happy with it too.
Some time has passed now and you’ve started to notice that the current custody arrangement isn’t working out as well as it was before. Why might this be the case and what are your options in such a scenario?
The child struggles at school
Another point that parents and the family court tend to agree on is the importance of education. This is a key part of development and it’s vital that the child gets the best possible opportunities. Custody arrangements can interfere with this. In practical terms, shifting between two homes so often might disrupt the child’s routines, homework and attendance. This is certainly something the court will consider when deliberating over a custody modification.
The child might also be struggling at school because of emotional elements. The custody order could be impacting their well-being because they don’t see enough of one of their parents. This, in turn, has made schoolwork very difficult for them.
When one parent has relocated
It is often beneficial for both parents to be geographically close to their child, but this isn’t the only way to make it work and there are other aspects, such as finances, to consider. For example, one parent may have been offered a year’s contract to work abroad for a lot of money. Yes, the child would see less of them but the money earned would go toward their education and development. In such a scenario, the family court may consider making a custody modification.
With any child custody decision, the court will always prioritize the best interests of the child. To assert your rights as a parent, make sure you seek some legal guidance.