Your relationship with your children does not exist in a vacuum, relative to other aspects and obligations in your life. Over the course of their childhoods, there are job changes, relocations, new relationships, and re-marriage. Unfortunately, sometimes, there is also misconduct on the part of parents. Because life is fluid and circumstances change over time, it sometimes becomes necessary to modify existing child custody orders.
Courts cannot freely change existing orders at will. Instead, a parent has to file a motion to modify child custody, then prove two things to the court: (1) That a substantial change has occurred since the original order was entered; and (2) that the requested modification is in the child(ren)’s best interest. Whether you are seeking to modify child custody or visitation or wanting to maintain an existing order, there are steps you can take to prepare for the legal proceedings.
