Divorced or separated parents often fight intensely over parenting time. They both likely want as much time with their children as possible. Once there is a schedule in place that aligns with a custody order, both parents can usually work their professional and personal lives around the custody order.
Unfortunately, not all parents are equally dependable. A co-parent might fail to show up for their scheduled time. They might cancel at the last minute or fail to communicate at all. What happens after a parent fails to arrive for their scheduled parenting session?
Canceling means losing the time
As a general rule, a parent who cancels their own time with their children forfeits that time unless their co-parent voluntarily agrees to allow them to reschedule. The right to make up parenting time usually stems from one parent canceling the other’s time with the children.
Everyone experiences occasional emergencies, but sometimes cancelations become a regular issue. In that case, the parent dealing with the cancelations may want to document each canceled parenting session. They can then present the record of inconsistent parenting to the family court as evidence that they require a custody modification.
Repeated failure to show up for parenting time can convince a judge that adjusting the allocation of parenting time is in the children’s best interests. Disrupted schedules can cause emotional challenges for children and create a feeling of rejection. The parent who currently has the children may have to make arrangements for child care or cancel their plans — both of which can cause financial strain and frustration.
Knowing how to respond to an unreliable co-parent can make shared custody less unpredictable and frustrating. Parents who need to modify their custody orders should have experienced legal guidance as they navigate the family court system.