As a divorced parent in Indianapolis, you no doubt value your parenting time. Not being under the same roof with your kids every day makes it more difficult to impart the life lessons that you want to on them. The courts understand this, and thus place equal value on the time you have with your kids. Sadly, tensions between you and your ex-spouse may make it so that they do not care quite as much whether you get to be with your kids. This makes it that much more important that you understand how to deal with changes to your parenting time schedule.
First and foremost, the website for the State of Indiana shows that there are valid and non-valid reasons why they may not respect your parenting time schedule. Non-valid reasons include:
- You being behind in your child or spousal support
- You not meeting conditions that your ex-spouse is trying to impose upon you
- Your kids not having anything to wear to their visit to your house
- Your ex-spouse simply not wanting the kids to leave at the scheduled time
Claims that the weather is too bad for your ex-spouse to bring the kids to you are also not valid (unless driving conditions are indeed unsafe). Your child not wanting to come see you is also not an acceptable reason to deny you your parenting time as the courts have decided that decisions regarding the fulfillment of visitation not be left up to children.
In addition, if circumstances cut your parenting time short, you are entitled to make up that time over the next month. If your ex-spouse needs someone to watch the kids, they must first give you the opportunity to do so (provided that doing so is practical) before arranging child care.
