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Handling child custody disputes in these challenging times

Pursuing a parenting plan that provides for the interests and needs of your children and also fits in with your scheduling needs can be a daunting. Yet, it is an integral task. While you might put forth great effort into covering every vital aspect involved, planning for all possibilities might not always be an easy endeavor. 

Even in normal times, parents in Minnesota may face various challenges that disrupt everyday visitation schedules. In these current times, with many issues stemming from the travel industry, parents may face additional strain, and it might prove more difficult than ever to keep conflict at bay and keep your plans for visitation on track. 

Steps that can potentially reduce custody disputes  

Even if the issues that alter visitation schedules might be impossible to control, such scenarios could still lead to high levels of conflict between you and the other parent. However, there may be some steps you can take to help reduce the risks of such disputes and protect the well-being of your children, such as: 

  • Don’t make it a habit:  While the occasional change in parenting time might not always prove eventful, conflict may be more likely if it becomes a habit or happens due to issues such as poor travel planning. 
  • An effective system:  Finding ways to create an effective system for handling parenting time swaps could also help mitigate conflict and alleviate strain in your coparenting relationship. 
  • Advance notice:  It may also be helpful to provide as much notice as possible when situations prompt a need for unexpected time swaps and to limit such swaps to an acceptable level. 
  • Added flexibility:  You could also consider discussing the possibility of adding flexibility into your parenting schedules and finding ways to deal with the unexpected while keeping parenting times balanced. 

Keeping track of parenting time swaps could also reduce confusion and help you work toward cultivating a healthier coparenting relationship by mitigating the risks of miscommunication. 

Adequate help and support is even more critical in these current times 

As mentioned, the current and ongoing issues with the travel industry could potentially wreak havoc on many co-parenting relationships. This could add even more emotions into what is often a contentious issue to begin with. Due to sudden, unforeseen changes in plans resulting from cancelled or delayed flights, for example, adjustments to already established custody plans may be needed to reduce the tension created from these kind of situations in the future.  

An experienced attorney can carefully analyze your unique circumstances in order to determine what appropriate changes to your custody plan could be in both your and your children’s best long-term interests. Your attorney can also fight to protect your and your children’s rights should the other parent push for changes to an agreement you believe would be inadequate or harmful.