Atkinson & Kelsey Law Firm Blog

When life needs change, child custody arrangements can change

New Mexico residents who go through a divorce often experience moments where they just want the process to be over so they can go on with their lives. For better or worse, however, it takes time to wrap up all the issues that come up when ending a marriage. In many cases, new legal issues can come up after the divorce is finalized. This is especially true of child custody arrangements.

One mother recently wrote about her experience raising her two daughters under a custody arrangement with her ex-husband. During the school year, the girls stayed with her nine days out of every 14 and the girls stayed with their father the other five days. Although the woman describes the divorce itself as very difficult, the custody schedule worked out well and the parents and children settled into a kind of routine. This routine ran into trouble one year when the girls, who attended different schools, ended up having different schedules for spring break.

According to the woman, her ex-husband proposed handling the situation by having the daughters stay with him separately during their school breaks that year. This would be a modification of their carefully crafted child custody arrangement, which required the girls to travel between their parents’ homes together. At first the mother refused. Eventually however, she met with her ex-husband and agreed to the plan. In the end, she said, the modification gave each parent some extended one-on-one time with each child –something they had never experienced before, and something they all ended up enjoying.

This woman’s story may be unique in some ways, but it also illustrates an experience that is relatively common. A lot can change in the lives of parents and their children in the years after a child custody arrangement is put in place. It is often necessary to make adjustments to accommodate new schools and other changes. However, sometimes a child custody modification involves more extreme life changes, such as a new spouse or a distant relocation. That’s when it’s important to have the help of a New Mexico attorney.

Source: Yahoo Family, “Our Co-Parenting Breakthrough Moment After Grim Divorce,” Melissa Fleming, April 23, 2015