Your custody order can change with the demands of your job

Working a demanding career often means that you have to make personal sacrifices. Your family may have had to make sacrifices to support you over the years as well.

Whether you work the third shift as a police officer or have several days on call as an emergency medical technician (EMT) every week, your custody order probably integrates your career demands into your family plan. 

However, demanding jobs can change their expectations. Perhaps you go from balancing a part-time EMT job and a full-time customer service job to finally getting a full-time EMT position. Maybe you accept a promotion to a supervisory role, which means that you will now have to work the first shift. What does that mean for your parenting plan?

You may need to go back to court to ask for a modification

Sudden changes to your employment circumstances can mean positive growth professionally, but they can also strain your co-parenting relationship with your ex. Being transparent about your upcoming schedule changes and the flexibility that you need is important. So too is trying to prioritize what will be easiest on the children when adjusting to this new schedule. 

When you have figured out what will work best with your job responsibilities in the needs of the kids, you can then ask the courts to modify your custody order. That makes the changes official and protects you from allegations that you have fallen out of compliance with the custody order. Any substantial change to your living situation or employment could justify a modification hearing. 

Recognizing when job changes are significant enough to warrant a custody modification can help ensure your custody order reflects your current family circumstances.