As a loving parent, you want what is best for your child. That does not change when you divorce. The problem that many divorced parents find is that what they think is best for their child is not always what their co-parent thinks is best. While divorce may have freed you from needing to consult your ex over most things, you still need to consult and find agreement when it comes to your children.
When you make a parenting plan and have a court sign off on it, you come up with the best plan you can at that point in time. It’s an agreement based on how you think things will play out and your ability to communicate and negotiate with each other in that moment. But, that doesn’t mean that its terms are set in stone.
You can change your parenting plan to improve it
While a parenting plan is a legal document you must abide by, courts are generally happy for you, as parents, to make changes as time goes on. Provided you can both agree on them and that the changes are not counter to the child’s best interests.
Some modifications will require a judge’s signature, for example, if one of you wants to move state with the child – even if the other parent agrees – as this would affect the amount of time the child could spend with their other parent. But most changes you can just put into action after you agree on altered terms and seek legal guidance to formalize these modifications.
With that said, if you think you may need a court’s permission to modify your plan, or if your co-parent will not agree to the modifications you want, it’s wise to seek guidance before attempting to move forward.
