It seems like summer vacation has barely started, and already retailers across Texas are beginning to fill their stores with new backpacks, school supplies and school-appropriate clothing. The new academic year is not far away, and as children work through their summer camps and activities, their parents may be preparing for their return to classes. For parents who share custody of their kids with their former partners, planning for the start of the school year can require some legal negotiations.

A child custody arrangement that serves the best interests of a child at the end of one academic year may no longer fit their needs as they prepare to begin the next. Particularly if the child is changing schools or if the child’s parents have had to move, change jobs, or go through other major life events, parents may they encounter difficulties with the arrangements that control their custodial needs.

As parents assess the workability of their custodial orders and agreements they may wish to begin legal proceedings to modify the terms of those controlling documents. Changes and modifications to child custody and visitation orders can require judicial approval and some parents may wish to have those proceedings underway well in advance of their children’s needs changing as they begin their new school years.

The Law Offices of Mary Ann Beaty are committed to helping parents seek the changes they know are necessary to maintain their kids’ well-beings and promote continuity in their children’s lives. Modifications to child custody orders can change the duration of time that kids spend with each of their parents or can alter the legal rights parents have to make decisions about their kids’ lives. To discuss child custody changes and learn more about order modifications, interested readers are invited to speak with legal representatives at the Law Officer of Mary Ann Beaty.