When Illinois parents first get a divorce, you work out matters of child custody. Sometimes the court must step in to help make a decision. In the end, you must abide by whatever the court decides. But is the child custody order set in stone for life? Or are there situations in which you can change this?
In fact, there are several situations in which you can change child custody. In some cases, courts may even recommend it. VeryWell Family looks at reasons to request child custody modification. The first and most important reason is if you believe your child is in danger. The danger must be immediate. The child may express a desire to leave the home where the danger is. Often, the danger in question is domestic violence. But there are other dangers as well. You may wish to speak to a court if you believe this category applies.
If a parent ignores a visitation schedule many times, this is also grounds to alter custody. Courts will check that you made attempts to contact the parent about their missed visitation. Depending on what they find, they may make changes.
The death or physical relocation of a parent is also grounds for changing custody. The former is self-explanatory. As for relocation, this is often related to work or military. Courts may change the schedule if visitation would disrupt the child’s life. The same is true if other factors render visiting impractical or impossible. An example may be a parent leaves for a war-torn area. Regardless of your reason for wanting to change your arrangement, you may want to talk to an attorney.
