As Your Family Changes, So Must Your Visitation Agreement
Child custody lawyers • Boston, New York City and Springfield
A child custody agreement needs to be a living document that is responsive to the needs of the child and the parents. The child custody agreement that was reached at the time of a child's birth or at the time of a divorce may not be appropriate when your child is 12 or 17. A modification may be needed.
The child custody attorneys of Denner Pellegrino, L.L.P., work with clients throughout their children's lives to help make adjustments to custody and visitation agreements. If your previous agreement is no longer right for your family, contact our offices to speak with an experienced child custody lawyer. We will listen to your concerns and explain how to seek a modification of an existing order, as well as any challenges you may face in doing so.
Reasons for seeking a modification of a child custody and visitation order
Courts do not modify custody and visitation orders or agreements unless there is a good reason to do so. Some reasons that parents may give when seeking a change of visitation or custody include:
- The child's needs have changed and it now makes more sense to live with the other parent for reasons of school, child care, medical needs, etc.
- The child is older and now wishes to live with the other parent
- One parent has been consistently violating the visitation order
- One parent is relocating out of state and wants to move the child with him or her
Proving that a change will be in your child's best interest
You can move anywhere within the state without the court's permission, but if a custodial parent seeks to relocate a child out of state, they will need the non-custodial parent's consent or the court's permission. An attorney will need to prove to the court that there is a real advantage to the move, and that it is in the best interest of the child. Some of the reasons a court may accept as valid include moving for better employment, for financial improvement, to be closer to family, or for remarriage.
If you are having difficulties co-parenting
When parents are having difficulty getting along, following their child custody agreements, or co-parenting their children, we can help by retaining the services of a parenting coordinator. Typically, a parenting coordinator must be in place before you will be able to seek a modification of a visitation agreement.
Three offices and multilingual staff to serve you
Throughout your child's growing years, your Denner Pellegrino lawyer will be available to provide compassionate guidance, skillful negotiation and courtroom representation if you need a change in your custody or visitation arrangements. We have three offices to meet the needs of clients in Boston, New York City and Springfield.
Contact us online to discuss visitation issues or any family law concern. Or, call us toll free at 866-348-0900, locally in Springfield at 413-746-4400 or in Boston at 617-227-2800. Our telephones are answered 24/7, allowing us to respond quickly to emergencies.
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