Shared custody can cause a real power imbalance between co-parents. You probably depend on your ex showing up as promised so that you can take care of some errands or get some work done during their parenting time.
When they don’t show up, especially if they don’t tell you in advance, you will probably feel frustrated and angry. After all, you are the one who will have to adjust your schedule or pay for child care.
What rights do you have when your ex keeps canceling their parenting time after asking for visitation or shared custody in your Texas divorce?
Try talking with your ex to get them to prioritize the children
Shared custody can be stressful, which can lead some people to avoid it. They might think everyone will be happier if they just stopped showing up.
If you explain to them the impact of their absence on the children and the importance of their parenting time for everyone in the family, they might start prioritizing it. If talking to them doesn’t resolve the problem, you might want to ask the courts for a modification.
When the courts issue a custody order, they do their best to tailor it to the specific needs of the family. If a family has significant changes to its circumstances after the divorce, either parent has the right to ask the courts to modify the custody order.
A modification can help you and your child
Waiting for a parent who doesn’t intend to show up can be an emotionally damaging experience for a child. The courts might look at your situation and decide that it is better to limit your ex’s parenting time because they aren’t putting the kids’ best interests first.
A modification can help you by clarifying what you can expect every week. It could also prompt your co-parent to finally start coming to spend time with the kids again if they realize that they could lose their custody rights and wind up downgraded to just visitation or legal access.