May 18, 2022
By The Law Offices of Teresa A. BeyersChild Custody

A child custody arrangement is not always permanent in California. There are various reasons you may petition a court to change the terms of an existing arrangement. Be aware, that convincing a judge that a child custody plan should be modified is typically easier when you enlist the help of a qualified child custody modification lawyer.

Reasons to modify a child custody arrangement include (but are certainly not limited to) the following:

A New Partner or Spouse is Mistreating a Child

It can sometimes benefit a child when a divorced parent who has primary custody of them gets involved in a new romantic relationship. In an ideal scenario, this new partner or spouse will provide additional financial support and will play a positive role in the life of a child.

Unfortunately, in some instances, a parent will become involved with someone who mistreats their children or prevents them from being as actively involved in their lives as they may have been before this new relationship began.

You need to be honest with yourself when determining whether your ex’s new partner or spouse is genuinely mistreating your children or otherwise causing them harm, whether directly or indirectly. You should not attempt to modify an existing child custody plan that is advantageous to your child simply because you are jealous of your ex’s new partner. However, if you have genuine reason to believe your ex’s new relationship is negatively affecting your kids, contact a child custody modification attorney to learn more about your legal options.

Your Child’s Academic Performance is Suffering

There are many potential reasons a child who was once a strong student may begin performing below your expectations in school. Again, you should not immediately blame your ex if they have primary custody of a child whose grades are slipping. Various other factors may account for this development.

Still, you may have justification to seek a modification of the current child custody arrangement if you have additional evidence to support your belief that a change in your child’s academic performance can be attributed to their current living situation. If your child is open to the idea and you have a fairly positive relationship with your ex, you might ask if your child can stay with you for some time to determine if their grades improve. If they appear to thrive academically when they reside with you, this could provide you with a strong reason to suggest or petition for a child custody modification.

Moving

A court will always attempt to make a decision that is in the best interests of a child when deciding who should have custody when two parents get a divorce. One factor a court may account for when issuing a decision is where each parent lives. If both parents are equally competent, financially secure, and caring, but one parent perhaps lives closer to a child’s school, relatives, friends, and other such resources, the court may decide it is best for the child to spend most of their time living with that parent.

However, the other parent may eventually move closer. All factors being equal, this might justify a child custody modification that involves a child spending more time with that parent than they may have when that parent lived farther away.

These are just a few reasons a child custody arrangement might be subject to modification in California. To learn more about how a Los Angeles child custody modification attorney can assist you when you believe adjustments to a current arrangement should be made, contact the Law Offices of Teresa A. Beyers online or call us at 213-236-4400.

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