As a parent, one of the most important things you can do is protect the interests of your children. You want to ensure that they have everything they need for emotional stability and mental well-being, especially during and after their parents’ Colorado divorce. It is the job of the parents to provide them with a child custody and visitation arrangement that is reasonable and sustainable. It is difficult to protect the children when one of the parents does not adhere to the terms of this agreement.
If you feel that the other parent is disrespecting the terms of your parenting arrangement or interfering with your custody rights, you do not have to remain silent. Parenting time interference is much more than an inconvenience, and it can have a negative effect on your kids. There are steps you can take that will allow you to protect your rights and interests.
Recognizing problems
It is normal for parents to have difficult feelings about each other after a divorce. However, it is not necessary for parents to get along perfectly in order to act cordially toward each other for the sake of the children. You may find that the other parent engages in behaviors that affect you and your kids, and it can cause long-term problems. There is both direct and indirect parenting time interference, and the differences between these two are as follows:
- Direct interference — With this type of parenting time interference, it is direct and blatant. It may involve the other parent taking the child without permission, refusing to return him or her after visitation or physically preventing the parent from seeing the child in other ways.
- Indirect interference — This type of interference may be more subtle. For example, one parent may cut off the kids’ communication with the other parent, or he or she may prevent the other parent from participating in a child’s extracurricular activities.
If you suspect that what you are experiencing counts as parenting time interference, you do not have to navigate it on your own. It may be necessary to petition the court for make-up parenting time or other remedies, such as family counseling or a rewording of your custody and visitation agreement.