You love your children, and you’re tired of being the parent who can never spend time with them. Your custody order was designed to give you as much time with your kids as you could manage at the time, but your schedule has changed. Now, you have two or three days a week where you could have full custody instead of just short visits. You have time to have your children spend the night or to coach your kids’ sports teams.
If your circumstances have changed, you can ask for a modification of your custody orders. You’re an important figure in your children’s lives, so being there as much as you can is necessary.
Seeking a modification is a big legal step, but it’s something that most parents will do at one time or another. You can make the situation easier by talking to your ex-spouse first. Tell them that you’d like more time with your kids. They may be willing to allow you to have more time and could agree to sign a new parenting agreement with you. If that’s the case, then the new agreement can simply be filed with the court for approval.
If they don’t want to give you more time, listen to the reasons. Maybe your kids have a strict schedule, and changes would disrupt their extracurricular activities or upcoming plans. Listening doesn’t mean you have to agree, but it does help reduce conflict by showing that you’re willing to understand the other parent’s concerns. In the end, if you want to pursue a modification against their wishes, you can do so with the help of your attorney.
