Florida custody modifications often follow a change in circumstances, such as a parent taking a new job or remarrying. However, other significant changes in family dynamics could also make a modification necessary.
If there is a strained relationship between one parent and a child, the child might refuse to follow the custody schedule. In such cases, the parent feeling cut off from one of their children can ask the Florida courts to modify the custody order to help repair their damaged relationship.
How can a modification help?
Numerous details, including a child’s preferences, can influence what a judge decides in their best interests. When children or teenagers do not want to see one of their parents, a judge may consider those wishes when deciding how to handle the situation.
However, they are unlikely to eliminate parenting time over familial disputes. They may adjust the time-sharing schedule in some cases or order makeup parenting time in other scenarios. They can potentially hold the other parent accountable for failing to uphold the order or encouraging the child to cancel.
Judges also have the authority to order reunification therapy. The child and the parent may attend both joint and separate counseling sessions to repair the damage to their relationship.
Documenting refused visits and other time-sharing complications can help parents show that noncompliance has impacted their relationships with their children. They may then be able to ask the courts to enforce their existing order or adjust it to facilitate their reconciliation with their children. Child custody modifications can be beneficial for parents dealing with custody order non-compliance.