Modifying Parenting Plans in Olympia

After parents are divorced they still must work together in some fashion to ensure that their children have the best living arrangements possible. As the children mature, this is will be a key aspect of their development, and both parents must share this important responsibility. The final agreement between parents that determine a child’s living arrangements is called a “parenting plan,” and sometimes it needs to be addressed well after a divorce is over. This can be tricky, so it’s important to get help with child custody issues from experienced and dedicated Olympia parenting plan modification lawyers.

When a parent seeks to modify a custody arrangement, our Thurston County parenting plan attorneys help them focus on the elements that are of most importance. Keeping conflict and animosity to a minimum is vital toward reaching an agreement, and our Olympia child custody lawyers work diligently to help negotiations continue unabated.

Some of the areas our legal professionals address when modifying a plan is necessary are as follows:

• Determining the primary residential parent and how placement is structured
• Helping both parents agree as to whom will make decisions regarding the child’s life
• Working out a system for the settling of disputes
• Deciding who will focus on the child’s education and choice of religion

Our Washington State parenting plan attorneys urge parents to work toward a mutually agreed upon residential placement arrangement that is most beneficial to their children. Staying out of court is one of the primary goals of most of our clients, so our Olympia child custody lawyers encourage amicable negotiations. Our Olympia parenting plan modification attorneys will provide you with trustworthy council so that you can deal with these sensitive custody-related issues.

The court isn't fond of making major changes to parenting plans because the stability of the child is most important. Before the family law court will even hear a case involving a major alteration to the parenting plan, an adequate cause hearing will take place. During this hearing, the parents (or parent) seeking the change will have to convince a judge that there is adequate cause for the change.

During the hearing, written affidavits from each parent will be presented to the judge. If the parent requesting the modification can prove valid reasoning behind their motion, the judge will set a hearing date. If not, then the request will be denied then and there.

What constitutes adequate cause for a parenting plan adjustment? Situations vary, but if parents agree to a modification or if the child current environment poses harm or risk to the child's well being then the court will likely agree to the modification. There are other situations that also apply, so contact one of our parenting plan lawyers in Olympia today for more information.

Studies show that when the court imposes a parenting plan that it is far less likely to be followed than if parents work together, and agree on, a child custody agreement. There are times when an agreement seems impossible to reach, and this is when our Olympia parenting plan modification lawyers will urge parents to seek mediation, counseling, or arbitration.

Another helpful method is having each parent design their own parenting plans, and then work with a mediator to hash out the child custody details on which they disagree. Once the parents finalize an agreement, our Olympia child custody lawyers take the final parenting plan to court for it to be signed.

Whether you are hopeful that an existing plan can be modified, or you have been served with a notice that an ex-spouse is seeking to modify current child custody arrangements, contact one of our Olympia parenting plan attorneys before you take any action. We offer a free consultation that allows you to find out more about child custody and how a parenting plan might be modified.

Make sure that your children are in the best custody arrangement possible by contacting us today for reliable legal counsel. With more than 50 years of collective experience, the attorneys at the Washington Family Law Group are ready to help you deal with sensitive parenting plan modification issues.