Parents negotiating shared custody arrangements often seek as much time as possible with their children. However, once the family starts acclimating to the new schedule, one parent may not be as consistent as they should be.
They may cancel their parenting time with minimal advance warning or may simply fail to show up when they should. The other parent may then need to extend their time with the children. They may feel grateful for the opportunity to increase their parenting time.
Even if parents are happy to spend more time with their children, regular parenting time cancellations may necessitate a custody modification.
Cancellations affect the children
The younger children are, the more important it is for them to see both of their parents frequently to maintain a strong connection. Additionally, cancellations can feel like a parental rejection, which can trigger self-esteem issues and challenges in developing strong interpersonal relationships later in life. Adjusting a custody order to reflect how often a parent actually shows up for their children can prevent children from feeling rejected and disappointed constantly.
Cancellations have financial consequences
When one parent doesn’t show up for their time with their children, the other parent may miss work or medical appointments. They may have lost wages or cancellation fees to address. They may incur substantial childcare costs if they have to find a babysitter at the last minute. Additionally, the overall split of parenting time can impact how much child support the courts believe is appropriate.
Going back to court to request a custody order modification is a reasonable reaction to frequent cancellations by a co-parent. Parents with documentation of regular cancellations can ask the courts to adjust their overall division of parenting time.
