In Washington state, child custody can usually only be modified with court approval if there is a substantial change in circumstances that did not exist at the time of the original parenting plan.
My current Parenting Plan isn’t working – What can I do?
A parenting plan modification is usually expensive and difficult to obtain. We will be happy to meet with you and evaluate whether we think you can re-open your parenting plan. We are well aware that the prospect of losing contact with your children or seeing your children in an unsafe living condition is incredibly frightening.
Some examples of substantial changes in circumstances that may justify a modification include the following:
- A job change. For example, if a Google employee is transferred to Silicon Valley.
- One parent has mental health issues. For example, if the parent with primary residential custody has mental health issues that negatively impact the child, the other parent may have the basis to seek a modification to change custody.
- There is something going wrong in the house where the child is living. For example, if your child gets involved with drugs or alcohol and the primary custodial parent isn’t successfully dealing with the situation, you can seek a modification to change the primary residential custody.
Amanda DuBois, Monica Kaup Cary, Lucia Levias and their team have extensive experience in contested and high-conflict child custody situations and will go the distance for you, working diligently for the resolution you want in your parenting plan modification.
If you have further questions about parenting plan modification in Seattle or Bellevue-Redmond, or want to arrange a confidential consultation, please contact us today. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue-Redmond and can meet with you in one or both of those locations as needed. We look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve the parenting plan solutions you seek.