A custody order gives each parent a certain amount of time with their children. Shared parenting time is the standard approach when parents divorce or separate. Children typically have the best outcomes when they have strong relationships with both of their parents.
The entire family eventually adjusts to the rotation between one house and the other. Unfortunately, shared custody can be more challenging for some families than others. Maybe one parent has a high-demand job. Perhaps they are just deeply irresponsible. They may develop a habit of canceling their parenting time at the last minute or simply failing to show up as scheduled. Repeated cancellations of parenting time can be a reason to request a custody or parenting time modification.
Parents who don’t use their time may lose it
Someone who consistently cancels their time with their children creates a variety of negative consequences for other people. Obviously, a last-minute cancellation is highly inconvenient for the other parent. They may have to scramble to secure child care or cancel their own plans. They might miss work and experience career setbacks.
However, the impact on the children can be even more of a concern. The cancellations can damage their bond with that parent. They can also negatively impact a child’s self-esteem. It is only natural that a child might take it personally when one parent consistently fails to spend scheduled time with them.
When one parent has proof of repeated cancellations and other parenting failures, they could go back to court to ask for a custody modification. The failure to adhere to the schedule could be an adequate change in circumstances to warrant a modification.
A judge can potentially reduce the parenting time of someone who has failed to show up for their children. Doing so can take some of the pressure off of the family schedule and alleviate the negative impact the situation has on the children. It is therefore crucial to document canceled parenting sessions and attempts to reduce parenting time.
The more someone fails to show up for their children, the better the chances that the situation warrants an adjustment of their family’s current custody arrangements. Asking for a custody modification could either lead to less parenting time for the no-show parent or an incentive for them to actually show up for their children.
