When is it time to take another look at your parenting plan?

It can be challenging to try to parent your child after a divorce. You and your ex both want what is best for your child, but it can be difficult to agree on what best means in every circumstance.

As you and your family learn to adapt to life after divorce, you may find that your needs change. As your family’s needs change, you may also need to adjust your parenting plan to be a better fit.

Here are a few times when you may find it is time to update your parenting plan.

Your child’s needs change

As your child gets older, they start to need you in different ways. Instead of general supervision, they need rides to sports and other activities.

While some parents find ways to adapt their schedules to the parenting plan, it can cause unnecessary strain and tension. The parenting plan is intended to support your child’s best interests, so when their needs are no longer consistent with the parenting plan, it may be time to revisit the plan.

Relocation

There are many reasons a parent may need to relocate. Whether you are moving for a career opportunity or other reasons, relocation often means changing the parenting plan. In Pennsylvania, relocation can include moves both within the state and outside the state; you need consent from either everyone with custody rights or the judge.

In most cases, you must give the other parent notice of your planned relocation 60 days or more before you plan to move. If you did not know about the relocation with enough time to give 60 days’ notice and you cannot delay the move, you must notify the other parent within 10 days of learning about the relocation.

The idea of creating a new parenting agreement can seem overwhelming, especially if you had difficulty creating the first agreement. Having an updated parenting plan can be essential for having an enforceable agreement between you and your ex.