Ideally, you and your co-parent will have managed to negotiate a custody arrangement which was then signed off on by the courts. If not, then the court will have stepped in and drafted a custody order based on the best interests of the child.
In any event, the final custody order is legally binding. But, is it irrevocable? In short, the answer to this question is no. if your current custody arrangement has become outdated then the family court may consider making modifications. Outlined below are two reasons why they might do this:
With development, your child’s needs may change
Children develop quickly and what might have been ideal one year ago could be completely outdated now. For instance, your child may be taking the leap from middle school to high school. With this, their friends, hobbies and habits will all develop too, as will the things they enjoy doing with you as a parent. They may also find school work a little harder and might need to spend more time with the parent who has traditionally helped with that.
Sometimes, a parent needs to relocate
Custody orders are legally binding but the family court knows that it may not be feasible for a parent to stay in the same locality. For instance, if a parent was offered a lucrative promotion or career opportunity that would give their child a much better lifestyle, then the court could adjust custody so that the parent was not restricted by the arrangement.
There are several reasons why the court may modify custody but these decisions will always be based on the best interests of the child. If you are seeking a modification of your own, be sure to get some legal guidance.
