If you have visitation rights with your children, you know that you only get to spend so much time with them. For this reason, you do your best to make the most of every minute you are together.
However, when life gets in the way, you may find that you can’t keep your scheduled visitation. At that point, it’s critical to explain your situation to your ex in hopes of finding common ground that works for both of you, as well as your children.
Here are some steps to take if you need to change an upcoming scheduled visitation:
- Give as much notice as possible: For example, if you know in advance that you will be out of town for work, let your ex know so that you can make the necessary adjustments. It’s much easier to find common ground when you have several weeks to do so, as opposed to a day.
- Be flexible: You hope that your ex is flexible, so you need to take the same approach. Provide a few days and times that would work better for you. If one of those doesn’t work for your ex, do your best to find a compromise.
- Don’t issue demands: The biggest mistake you can make is simply issuing a demand and hoping that your ex gives in. This is likely to put them off, which only complicates things. Rather than issue demands, have a meaningful conversation.
If you find that your current visitation agreement is no longer working for you or your children, learn more about your legal rights for requesting a modification.