Youth sports do not necessarily end when school lets out for summer. For young adults who are especially passionate about a particular sport, participation in local clubs or touring teams could help them maintain their skills over summer vacation.
Student athletes who had a particularly successful spring season might see tournaments and postseason events run into the summer months, and those participating in fall sports may have to begin training before school starts.
Parents who share custody of children who play baseball or football may need to adjust their schedules for summertime sports. Equestrian sports and motocross can also put pressure on the family’s summertime schedule.
How can parents in Greene County accommodate those activities that do not align with their current custody schedule?
Modifications can address scheduling changes
Georgia law authorizes the modification of a custody order after a substantial change in circumstances. Significant shifts in family schedules could make the current custody arrangement unsustainable.
Parents may not be able to balance practices and competitions with their scheduled custody exchanges effectively. They may end up fighting over who takes the children to out-of-town events or who attends local games.
Parents can typically work cooperatively to modify their custody order as necessary. If they cannot agree on how to change their schedule to work around sport obligations during the summer months, then they need to go back to family court. A Georgia family law judge can review the current custody order and the changes to the family schedule to determine what is in the best interests of the children.
They can alter the overall allocation of parenting time or modify when custody exchanges occur to ensure that children are able to participate in their favorite pastimes. In some cases, parents may even need to work out how they intend to share responsibility for transporting the children to and from athletic events and which parent attends competitions.
Whether parents intend to cooperate for an uncontested custody modification or go back to court for a judge’s review, they may need support when pursuing a child custody modification. Modifying a custody order can keep the family schedule consistent and can diminish opportunities for conflict about scheduling adjustments, which can reduce stress for everyone.