Over the course of several decades of collective domestic practice, Ciyou & Dixon, P.C. attorneys observe two reoccurring mistakes that parents make, perhaps unknowingly, that may lead to contempt or modification actions or otherwise institute ill will and make it harder to co-parent and act in the children’s best interests. This blog post explores these mistakes so divorcing or divorced parents can avoid them.
The first is enrolling the children in school and not listing the child’s other parent on registration forms. This takes a more sinister turn when the parent lists the new significant other as the emergency contact. This is a sure way to create hostility and instability in the children’s lives. The same type of omissions or changes are found on sport’s enrollments, and doctors and/or dentists. This is a sure way to wind up back in court and harms your position. Avoid it.
The second is substituting the child’s last name on forms or insisting the children call the new person “mom” or “dad”. This minimizes the other parent to the child and undermines co-parenting and moving on and making the best of it after divorce. Any one mistake is nothing more than that. However, if there is a history or a pattern of doing so, this may cause a legal filing modification of parenting time or custody.
Hopefully, this blog helps you avoid court and raise your children in a meaningful way post-divorce. If so, it has met it educational goal. Ciyou & Dixon, P.C. attorneys practice and handle domestic relations cases across the state of Indiana. This blog is not intended as a solicitation for services or a legal advice. It is best thought of as a general advertisement.
