Do you have questions about child custody in Denver? At Jones Law Firm, PC, we have provided a list of frequently asked questions about child custody in Colorado. We encourage you to continue reading the questions and answers below to obtain valuable information. If you need further assistance with your divorce or child custody case, please contact a Denver divorce attorney from our firm for assistance.
What is a parenting plan?
A parenting plan addresses all of the issues which are relevant to your child custody case. It must provide provisions for the allocation of parental responsibilities, and this includes decision-making and parenting time.
Can my spouse and I write a parenting plan together?
In an effort to promote agreement between parents where children are involved, parties are encouraged by the courts to jointly create a written parenting plan.
What types of parenting plans are there?
In Colorado there are three types of parenting plans: 1) a full joint parenting plan where the parents agree and the plan is signed by both parties, 2) a partial joint parenting plan where the parents agree on some things and the plan is signed by both parties, and 3) a parenting plan prepared by one party and there is no agreement.
What are the decision-making responsibilities of a parent?
In a parenting plan, these include major decisions over education; medical, dental, or mental health; religious upbringing and; extracurricular or recreational activities, etc.
What is parenting time?
Parenting time has to do with the time that the child spends with each individual parent. The family courts encourage parenting plans to meet the needs of the children and the individual needs of the family.
If my ex doesn’t let me see my kids, can I stop paying child support?
Even if your ex fails to comply with the provisions of the parenting plan, you cannot stop paying child support, unless the child support order is modified by the court and then only would the modification apply to future child support payments.
I want to relocate with my child, do I need the court’s approval?
When a child moves away with a parent, such a change would require the modification of decision-making responsibilities and parenting time. Once a Decree or Final Order has been issued, if a party wants to relocate, he or she must file a motion with the court and obtain permission to relocate, unless the parties have submitted a written agreement to the court allowing such a relocation with the child.
If my spouse and I can’t agree on parenting time, what’s next?
If you and your soon to be ex cannot agree on parenting time, you both may be required to schedule mediation in an effort to resolve your issues regarding parenting time.
Contact our Denver divorce law firm to schedule your free consultation. We can be reached at 303-799-8155– we look forward to hearing from you!