If you are divorced and have children, the chances are very good that you have a parenting plan in place. The plan may be exactly the same as the one that you agreed to when you first divorced, and that you designed so that your children can have the best of both parents. What happens if the parenting plan is no longer satisfactory or adequate? How do you go about changing it under Utah law?
If you wish to change the parenting plan, according to Utah law, you will need to receive some training before you can do that. The educational course emphasizes to parents how much children can be affected by difficult situations that occur after the divorce. There are many possible conflicts that may arise between two divorced parents when it comes to their children and the arrangement that they have between them regarding child custody and child support.
Many things in life are fluid
Once a divorce is final (especially after some years have passed), the two people begin new lives and often find new people with whom to spend time. Sometimes, they simply decide to have a new relationship but sometimes the relationship becomes more serious and the parent ends up remarrying. If that happens, the parenting plan may come into question because of child support and/or child custody.
If that happens, it may cause an uncomfortable situation for the children. If the process of revising the parenting plan does not go smoothly, it may cause the children to feel anxious and upset, which neither parent wants. Another negative consequence of revising the parenting plan is the expense involved. If the parents have to hire lawyers to represent their interests if the parents are in conflict, that may run into a great deal of money and it may take a long time to resolve the issues.
What is involved in revising a parenting plan?
Before the parents can revise the parenting plan, they will need to prove that they took the educational course(s) that were required. They would do this by presenting the certificate of completion to the court. This applies if the parents are not in agreement. On the other hand, if they are in agreement, it is possible that the judge might waive the training course requirement.
Interestingly, even if the parents object to having to take the course(s), the education is a positive thing because they may very well learn something that they did not know before and they can apply that knowledge to parenting their children and thus to becoming better parents, hopefully. The course is not expensive and is most likely much more valuable than the money that the parents will need to spend on it.
Valuable advice from a Utah divorce lawyer
If you are divorced and are having issues with revising the parenting plan that you have in place, the sound advice of an experienced Utah divorce lawyer may make a great deal of difference to the outcome of your case. The lawyer can offer you valuable insight into the nuances of what you are experiencing and they can help you to choose the right path for the most favorable outcome.