Enforcing Parenting Time And What To Do When It Is Violated

Posted by Kinman and Associates on March 15th, 2021

Parenting time is established during co-parenting evaluations and agreements. With the help of a family lawyer in Burnaby, a co-parenting agreement that is fair to both parties can be created. The problem is that in some cases, the terms of these agreements are not often upheld.

It’s normal for the parties involved to deviate from the agreement from time to time. There may be times when you can’t make time for the kids because of work or emergency problems. It’s good to also make room for these adjustments. When this happens, you can talk to the other parent about making up for lost time. Perhaps you can switch holidays or weekends. If there is cooperation between the two parents and you don’t compete with each other, it can work.

What if you were denied parenting time? What should you do?

If the other parent refuses to let you see the kids and this has become a habit, you should start enforcing your rights. You should document when you were denied parenting time. Indicate the other parent’s reasons for not letting you see the kids.

Don’t just immediately go to a family lawyer in Burnaby and file a case when the incident is just isolated. For instance, if you were denied parenting time because the child is sick or because there was a family emergency, you might be able to let it pass. But if a significant part of your time has been taken away from you, that is the time you might need to consult your family lawyer in Burnaby.

For instance, if the other parent took the kids out for a vacation and they weren’t back in time for your parenting time and this has become commonplace in the agreement, you might need to make additional stipulations to the parenting agreement with the help of a family lawyer in Burnaby.

It all starts with a good parenting agreement. It can be hard to contest the agreement when the terms are not clear. You need the help of a family lawyer in Burnaby when drafting a co-parenting agreement. This is to ensure that nothing is left out and all grounds are covered.

The parenting agreement should also indicate what would happen if a parent is denied parenting time and what will happen if a parent misses their parenting time. That way, the parties involved don’t have to keep on going back to their family lawyer in Burnaby in case the situation doesn’t go according to the terms in the agreement.

Make sure you look for an experienced family lawyer to help you out such as Kinman & Associates. You need the best advice that you can get to ensure that your parenting agreement is effective.

Robert Lowler is the author of this article. For more details about Family Lawyer in New Westminster please visit our website: kinmanlaw.ca