Unfortunately, many parents in Centennial and the other communities around Denver may find themselves in a situation where the other parent of their children is simply not willing to follow a parenting plan, even when both parents may have originally agreed to one.
When this happens, Colorado courts have a number of options available to them. One option is for the court to require the parents to attend mediation in order to try to resolve their dispute before going any further in the process.
As a word of warning, courts also have the choice to dismiss a parent's request to enforce parenting time outright, such as when a parent simply does not lay out a good case in his or her motion asking for help from the judge.
Assuming that a judge decides to hear a parent's complaint about violations and sets the matter for hearing, the judge has a number of options available to her. In extreme cases, she can hold a non-complying parent in contempt and impose a fine or even jail time. However, it is more likely that the judge will require makeup parenting time or will change the parenting plan to make future violations less likely. In other cases, a judge may require a parent to post a bond or attend counseling or parenting classes.
In all cases involving the enforcement of a parenting plan, however, the parent who had to endure the inconvenience of going back to court in order to get what he or she was legally entitled to in the first place can ask for reimbursement for their costs and attorney fees.
This prospect serves as an additional incentive for parents to consult with an attorney seasoned in handling child custody disputes prior to seeking relief.
Tags: Child Custody
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