Parenting plan modification Washington State

Ready to adapt to life’s changes

Need a parenting plan modification? Washington State’s requirements are meant to protect your children but skilled legal counsel is your best bet for added protection.

At Helland Law Group, we are aware that life changes happen, taking you off guard and forcing you to adapt. Sometimes these changes can affect residential placement of children. That’s when it becomes necessary to modify your parenting plan.

Our firm has over three decades of continuous legal experience and forty plus combined years. Our family law attorneys have the expertise to educate you about what your legal options are in Washington State when life throws you a parenting-plan curveball.

Modification of parenting plan — the requirements

In Washington state, a final parenting plan can generally only be changed with either:

  • The agreement of both parties
  • Or a finding by the court that a change is in the best interest of the child

Usually, a court will not modify a final parenting plan without a substantial change in circumstances in the home of the non-requesting parent.

What does that mean?

Most of the time there needs to be a problem with the parenting of the other parent that places your child at risk. We won’t sugar coat it — contested parenting plan modifications can be one of the most difficult and complex actions in family law. But our skilled, hardworking legal team at Helland Law Group can advise you on the strengths and weaknesses of your case so that you can make a decision that is in the best interest of your child.

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Questions about Parenting Plan Modification? Ask Slater.

Is it possible to have my final parenting plan changed? ▾

Yes. Don’t get thrown off by the word “final.” Washington allows for a final parenting plan to be modified. Modification may be done either through agreement or by court order. A court requires for most modifications that you demonstrate a significant change in circumstances in the other parent’s home that were not contemplated at the time the original parenting plan was issued. It is best to talk to a child custody attorney ***link*** to determine whether or not you have a proper legal basis to modify an existing parenting plan.

My parenting plan says I need to go to dispute resolution before I can modify my parenting plan. What does that mean? ▾

Often parenting plans require the parties to go through dispute resolution prior to going into court to modify an existing parenting plan. Each parenting plan is different, but commonly dispute resolution involves an uninvolved third party hearing from both sides and trying to reach a settlement of the matter without resorting to the court.